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School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
  1. School of Physical and Chemical Sciences
  2. Chemistry
  3. PhD/Research
  4. PhD Projects
  5. Bench stable, recyclable, atroposelective single-component palladium catalysts for enantioselective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling.

Bench stable, recyclable, atroposelective single-component palladium catalysts for enantioselective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling.

Research Group: Chemistry
Number of Students: 1
Length of Study in Years: 4 Years
Full-time Project: yes

Funding

Funding is provided via the China Scholarship Council.  

  • Available to Chinese applicants only.
  • Applicant required to start in September 2026.
  • The studentship arrangement will cover overseas tuition fees for the duration of the studentship.

 

Project Description

The Arseniyadis research group (https://arseniyadislab.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/) at Queen Mary University of London develops innovative methods in synthetic organic chemistry, with a particular focus on asymmetric catalysis and the efficient construction of complex molecular architectures. Their work spans transition-metal-catalyzed transformations, cascade reactions, and bio-hybrid catalysis using DNA as a chiral scaffold, aiming to create highly selective and sustainable routes to valuable molecules. By combining methodological innovation with applications in natural product synthesis and medicinal chemistry, the group advances both fundamental reactivity and practical synthetic strategies.

 

There are two possible projects, and the successful candidate may decide to pursue either one of these or a combination of both:

 

  • The first project aims at combining DNA-based bio-hybrid catalysis with asymmetric photocatalysis to develop new, highly enantioselective and sustainable photocatalytic processes, with a special emphasis given to applications in biomimetic natural product synthesis.

 

  • The second project focuses on developing sustainable, bench stable and recyclable, atroposelective single-component palladium catalysts for enantioselective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions and applying them to the synthesis of axially chiral natural products.

 

The ideal candidate should have some experience in synthetic chemistry and be interested in exploring a highly interdisciplinary, collaborative, and dynamic field of scientific research.

Application Method:

To apply for this studentship and for entry on to the Chemistry programme (Full Time) please follow the instructions detailed on the following webpage:

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/spcs/phdresearch/application-process/#apply

Deadline for application - 28th of January 2026

Supervisor Contact Details:

For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Dr Stellios Arseniyadis

E-mail: s.arseniyadis@qmul.ac.uk

Requirements

We welcome applicants with a strong background in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field.

  • The minimum requirement for this studentship opportunity is a good Honours degree (minimum 2(i) honours or equivalent) and MSc/MRes in a relevant discipline (minimum 2(i) honours or equivalent).
  • You will require a valid English certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.5+ overall with a minimum score of 6.0 in all other categories.  English certificate will be required at application stage.

SPCS Academics: Dr Stellios Arseniyadis

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