Developments in chiral phosphonium salt preparation and transformations, hydrophosphination, and chemical oscillations

The research investigates new strategies to direct chemical reactivity, selectivity, and product formation. One major focus involves chiral phosphorus compounds, which exist in mirror-image configurations. The work establishes catalytic approaches to synthesize chiral phosphonium salts with controlled three-dimensional architectures. Furthermore, visible light can activate these salts to generate reactive intermediates that partially retain their stereochemical arrangement, facilitating their use as synthetic building blocks.

The thesis also examines reaction control using chemical oscillators, in which catalyst concentrations periodically fluctuate. Coupling such oscillating systems to other chemical processes reveals that periodic concentration shifts can govern both product yields and product selectivity.