US company Gelest has signed a licensing agreement with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to enable it to offer organosilicon compounds that can be used in innovative cross-coupling reactions developed at the university for use in synthetic applications in the pharma industry. This is an extension of Geles’s organo-tin compounds for cross-coupling.
Under the terms of the agreement, Gelest will offer a label licence with each sale of its organosilicon compounds granting purchasers a royalty-free licence to cross-coupling technology developed by Professor Scott Denmark, Reynold C Fuson Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the university. The technology has led to the creation of a broad range of carbon-carbon bond forming reactions.
Gelest says its organosilicon reagents are highly useful in organic synthesis due to their shelf- and air-stability, insensitivity to water and their ability to withstand further functionalistion.
‘Gelest believes the strength of the technology developed by Professor Denmark wil broaden the use of our materials in synthetic methods,’ said Dr Gerald L Larson, a former professor and Gelest’s vice president for research and development.
The company has also strengthened its r&d and technical service capabilities with a new appointment and two key promotions.
Professor Janis Matisons has been appointed senior technical manager, responsible for the development of innovative material and polymer technologies. Prior to joining Gelest, he was appointed the first Australian professorial chair in nanotechnology at Flinders University, where he formed and led the Nanomaterials Group for nine years.
Dr Jonathan Goff has been promoted to manager, silicones r&d, and will be responsible for leading the efforts of the silicones research and development group at Gelest. He joined the company in 2009 as a polymer development chemist, working to develop new silicone products.
As technical service manager, Dr Yun Mi Kim is responsible for leading Gelest’s Technical Service Group. She joined Gelest as an application chemist in September 2006 and specialises in surface modification and silicon chemistry.
