Our group was formed at the beginning of the 90s at the Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Chemistry of Tarragona, integrated at that time in the Barcelona University. Nowadays, the Group is integrated in the Department of Analytical and Organic Chemistry of the Rovira i Virgili University.
Our research is mainly focused on Organic Stereoselective Synthesis, carbohydrate and nucleoside chemistry, synthesis of biologically active products and asymmetric catalysis. Our group has a wide experience in nucleoside and carbohydrate chemistry, fields in which we have published since 1993. In this sense, we have developed different methods for the synthesis of isonucleosides, being some of them among the best for the preparation of these compounds. During the last project our group has carried out also significant contributions in the glycolipid field, reporting several publications in relation to the synthesis of sphingosine, phytosphingosine and modified analogues. We have also explored the glycosylation of sphingosines and ceramides, reporting procedures achieving >90% yield in this process, which is among the highest reported in the bibliography. Likewise, the group is also involved in developing chiral ligands for asymmetric catalysis and in the study of several transition metal-catalyzed reactions, such as allylic alkylation and amination.
The members of our group teach organic chemistry, organic synthesis, natural products chemistry, structural determination, between other courses, to the undergraduate students of Chemistry, Enology, Agricultural Engineering and Technical Engineering degrees of the University. We also participate in the doctoral program of our Department with the course: "Synthesis of fine chemicals, Asymmetric synthesis"
Our Research Group is part of the Department of Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry of the URV.