Dr Mike Edwards

Title: Lecturer in Organic Chemistry
Phone: (+44) 01782 7 33252
Email:
Location: Lennard-Jones 1.03
Role: Admissions Tutor; Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Forensic Science
Contacting me: Try my office or make an appointment by email
Mike Edwards

I was appointed as a lecturer in Organic Chemistry at Keele in the summer of 2011. I spent 7 years studying in Bath where I obtained my undergraduate degree (MChem) and then PhD under the supervision of Prof. Jon Williams.

My research pioneered a new approach to C-C bond formation using alcohols as alkylating agents and a transition metal catalyst to “borrow hydrogen” – this remains an area of worldwide research interest.

Following this I undertook two postdoctoral research stints, first at the University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign (USA) working with Prof. Scott Denmark in the area of Lewis base activation of main group compounds and more recently with Prof Richard Taylor at the University of York working on tandem reactions and natural product synthesis.

My research interests are in the broad area of organic chemistry and focused in four main areas:

  1. Tandem pericyclic reactions and molecular complexity
    Tandem reactions have become important in organic chemistry because of the obvious benefits of streamlined synthesis, reduction in the number of steps and associated benefits. I'm interested in exploiting rearrangement sequences that enable the rapid development of molecular complexity particularly when triggered by an olefination or oxidation event.
  2. Sustainable Catalysis and Renewable Materials
    The diminishing supply of precious metals and crude oil will require chemists to develop strategies involving more abundant elements and renewable chemical feedstocks. In respect of this challenge I’m interested in developing new methods using sustainable catalysis, using for example the more abundant main group elements, and readily available chemical feedstocks such as CO2 for novel C-C bond formation.
  3. Biological Probes and Biologically Active Molecules
    The application of synthetic molecules as biological probes for the investigation of oxidative stress or medicinal agents e.g. anti-cancer derivatives is of interest.
  4. Novel Reagents and Reactivity
    New reagents can display novel and/or interesting reactivity. Such reagents might be used to remedy old problems e.g. a reagent for the selective three-carbon homologation of carbonyl compounds, or provide new reactivity pathways.

Selected Publications

  • Bastin R, Dale JW, Edwards MG, Papillon JPN, Webb MR, Taylor RJK. 2011. Formal synthesis of (+)-neooxazolomycin via a Stille cross-coupling/deconjugation route. TETRAHEDRON, vol. 67(51), 10026-10044. link> doi>
  • Beltran-Rodil S, Edwards MG, Pugh DS, Reid M, Taylor RJK. 2010. The Preparation of Substituted Pyrazoles from beta,beta-Dibromo-enones by a Tandem Condensation/Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Process. SYNLETT, 602-606. link> doi>
  • Catozzi N, Edwards MG, Raw SA, Wasnaire P, Taylor RJ. 2009. Synthesis of the louisianin alkaloid family via a 1,2,4-triazine inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder approach. J Org Chem, vol. 74(21), 8343-8354. link> doi>
  • Beltran-Rodil S, Donald JR, Edwards MG, Raw SA, Taylor RJK. 2009. Tandem retro-aldol/Wittig/Michael and related cascade processes. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, vol. 50(26), 3378-3380. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Pugh DS, Whitwood AC, Taylor RJ. 2009. gem-Dimethylcyclopropanation of dibenzylideneacetone using triisopropyl sulfoxonium tetrafluoroborate. Acta Crystallogr C, vol. 65(Pt 2), o39-o41. link> doi>

Full Publications List show

Journal Articles

  • Bastin R, Dale JW, Edwards MG, Papillon JPN, Webb MR, Taylor RJK. 2011. Formal synthesis of (+)-neooxazolomycin via a Stille cross-coupling/deconjugation route. TETRAHEDRON, vol. 67(51), 10026-10044. link> doi>
  • Beltran-Rodil S, Edwards MG, Pugh DS, Reid M, Taylor RJK. 2010. The Preparation of Substituted Pyrazoles from beta,beta-Dibromo-enones by a Tandem Condensation/Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Process. SYNLETT, 602-606. link> doi>
  • Catozzi N, Edwards MG, Raw SA, Wasnaire P, Taylor RJ. 2009. Synthesis of the louisianin alkaloid family via a 1,2,4-triazine inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder approach. J Org Chem, vol. 74(21), 8343-8354. link> doi>
  • Beltran-Rodil S, Donald JR, Edwards MG, Raw SA, Taylor RJK. 2009. Tandem retro-aldol/Wittig/Michael and related cascade processes. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, vol. 50(26), 3378-3380. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Pugh DS, Whitwood AC, Taylor RJ. 2009. gem-Dimethylcyclopropanation of dibenzylideneacetone using triisopropyl sulfoxonium tetrafluoroborate. Acta Crystallogr C, vol. 65(Pt 2), o39-o41. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Paxton RJ, Pugh DS, Whitwood AC, Taylor RJK. 2008. gem-Dimethylcyclopropanation Using Triisopropylsulfoxonium Tetrafluoroborate: Scope and Limitations. SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART, 3279-3288. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Kenworthy MN, Kitson RRA, Perry A, Scott MS, Whitwood AC, Taylor RJK. 2008. The preparation of alpha-alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactones using a telescoped intramolecular Michael/olefination (TIMO) sequence: Synthesis of (+)-paeonilactone B. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 4769-4783. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Paxton RJ, Pugh DS, Taylor RJK. 2008. An improved gem-dimethylcyclopropanation procedure using triisopropylsulfoxonium tetrafluoroborate. SYNLETT, 521-524. link> doi>
  • Barfoot CW, Burns AR, Edwards MG, Kenworthy MN, Ahmed M, Shanahan SE, Taylor RJ. 2008. A convergent synthesis of the tricyclic core of the dictyosphaeric acids. Org Lett, vol. 10(2), 353-356. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Kenworthy MN, Kitson RR, Scott MS, Taylor RJ. 2008. The telescoped intramolecular michael/olefination (TIMO) approach to alpha-alkylidene-gamma-butyrolactones: synthesis of (+)-paeonilactone B. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, vol. 47(10), 1935-1937. link> doi>
  • Donald JR, Edwards MG, Taylor RJK. 2007. Tandem oxime formation - epoxide ring opening sequences for the preparation of oxazines related to the trichodermamides. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, vol. 48(30), 5201-5204. link> doi>
  • Black PJ, Edwards MG, Williams JMJ. 2006. Borrowing hydrogen: Indirect "Wittig" olerination for the formation of C-C bonds from alcohols. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, 4367-4378. link> doi>
  • Denmark SE and Edwards MG. 2006. On the mechanism of the selenolactonization reaction with selenenyl halides. J Org Chem, vol. 71(19), 7293-7306. link> doi>
  • Black PJ, Cami-Kobeci G, Edwards MG, Slatford PA, Whittlesey MK, Williams JM. 2006. Borrowing hydrogen: iridium-catalysed reactions for the formation of C-C bonds from alcohols. Org Biomol Chem, vol. 4(1), 116-125. link> doi>
  • Black PJ, Edwards MG, Williams JMJ. 2005. Catalytic electronic activation as a tool for the addition of stabilised nucleophiles to allylic alcohols. TETRAHEDRON, vol. 61(5), 1363-1374. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG, Jazzar RF, Paine BM, Shermer DJ, Whittlesey MK, Williams JM, Edney DD. 2004. Borrowing hydrogen: a catalytic route to C-C bond formation from alcohols. Chem Commun (Camb), 90-91. link> doi>
  • Adair GRA, Edwards MG, Williams JMJ. 2003. Triphenylphosphine-catalysed conversion of maleic anhydride into acrylate esters. TETRAHEDRON LETTERS, vol. 44(29), 5523-5525. link> doi>
  • Edwards MG and Williams JM. 2002. Catalytic electronic activation: indirect "Wittig" reaction of alcohols. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, vol. 41(24), 4740-4743. link> doi>
  • CHE-20001 - Organic Synthesis and Chirality
  • CHE-20005 - Drug Design Based on Biological Targets (Module Leader)
  • CHE-20012 - Drugs of Abuse
  • CHE-30002 - Chemistry Research Project
  • CHE-30031 - Biologically Important Molecules
  • CHE-30006 - Synthesis, Kinetics and Mechanism
  • CHE-30008 - Research Topics in Chemistry