The research program of Prof. Marcantoni is primarily directed towards the development of new methods for Lewis acids promoted organic synthesis. The approach is planted on metals employment to catalyze or mediate organic reactions, which would be difficult or impossible using ‘classical’ conditions. The Marcantoni’s research aim is the tweak of innovative, efficient, and environmentally responsible methods widely applicable especially to the synthesis of heterocycles. Considering the chemical and biological importance of heterocyclic rings molecules in character of precursors of organic molecules containing heteroatoms, the Marcantoni’s research interests began to explore new sustainable synthetic pathway. It appeared then the concrete and tested out possibility that relatively non-toxic and readily available at low cost cerium(III) compounds could promote carbon-heteroatom bond forming processes for the convergent construction of substituted heterocycles. CeCl₃.7H₂O is the most common source of cerium(III) commercially available, and has gained a lot of attention as Lewis acid. It has a mild acidity and is stable in an aqueous medium.This aspect allow us to certainly declare that no particular cautions are necessary in handling CeCl₃, and its uses become methods of common choice in organic synthesis. The exploitment of these new organic reactions is currently being investigated by the Marcantoni’s research group which is essentially working towards the construction of new small polyfunctionalized heterocyclic molecules from suitable acyclic precursors. This small heterocyclic molecules are pretty important in chemical genetics where, following a chemical approach, they are directly used to modulate the functions of a specific protein rather than their genes. Students trained in synthetic organic chemistry point highly towards the discovery and development of new synthetic methodologies, and their applications to the synthesis of architecturally complex natural products or model compounds having pharmacological importance. Thus, they are typically well poised to pursue a number of avenues of scientific inquiry in academia and industry later in their careers. Prof. Marcantoni encourage you to browse our web page for further information regarding our research interests, the members of our research group, as well as the Chemistry Division of the School of Science and Technology at the University of Camerino.





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