GRK 2226:  Chemical bond activation

• Subject Area: Molecular Chemistry ; Analytical Chemistry ; Biological Chemistry and Food Chemistry ; Chemical Solid State and Surface Research ; Physical Chemistry ; Polymer Research
• Term: from 2017 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 281525690

Research that focuses on the activation of less reactive chemical compounds plays a keyrole for a sustainable access to chemical products and in addition, efficient activation reactions should offer significant economic advantages over conventional processes which are nowadays used in chemical industry. Due to these facts, an enormous economic potential has to be assigned to the activation of inert chemical compounds. Based on this assessment, the scientific aim of the Research Training Group (Graduiertenkolleg) is the development of new methods for the selective activation of less reactive C-H bonds and the significant improvement of existing methods with regard to efficiency, selectivity, scope and robustness. This will be achieved by interdisciplinary research projects which focus on a number of selected important C-H bond activation reactions. In general, the starting point is the generation of a deep understanding of the activation mechanisms which will be achieved by the combined use of the most advanced analytical and theoretical methods. The deliberate selection of different classes of activation processes and the required various methods of investigation from all areas of chemistry and biochemistry guarantee that the PhD students of the Research Training Group will be acquainted with a wide and interdisciplinary methodological knowledge that is required for successful work in this research area of high future relevance. To reach this educational goal and to additionally enhance the employability of the PhD students, the planned Research Training Group will be integrated into the Graduate School "Science, Medicine and Technology" (OLTECH) operated by the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg. This provides the opportunity to improve the specific scientific knowledge of the PhD students and the employability of the students will be enhanced by providing additional training that focuses on communication competences and "soft skills" (interdisciplinary competences, transferable skills). Taken together, participation in the Research Training Group should offer many different national and international career opportunities for the PhD students because it is expected that due to the chance of solving today´s economic and ecological problems, increasing attention will be paid to the area of chemical bond activation world-wide.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Sven Doye
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Dr. Katharina Al-Shamery; Professor Dr. Rüdiger Beckhaus; Professor Dr. Jens Christoffers; Professor Dr. Thorsten Klüner; Professor Dr. Thomas Müller; Professor Dr. Ralf Rabus; Professor Dr. Jarl Ivar van der Vlugt, since 1/2021; Professor Dr. Michael Wark; Professor Dr. Heinz Wilkes; Professor Dr. Gunther Wittstock; Professorin Dr. Mehtap Özaslan, from 10/2017 until 6/2019