Mayer lab at Technische Universität München

Physical Organic Chemistry

Within organic chemistry, quantitative relationships between rate- and equilibrium constants can provide a rational way to predict novel reactions, classify existing ones, and rationalize the intrinsic properties of reagents. In my current research, I aim to develop tools to predict the outcome of complex reactions within the context of organic chemistry as well as reactions relevant to the origin of life. Moreover, I target to replace qualitative comparison of compounds with quantitative metrics toward a reactivity-centered approach to chemistry. We use the whole toolset of experimental physical organic chemistry, which we combine with methods from computational chemistry.

Mechanistic Prebiotic Chemistry

Explaining how life emerged from simple building blocks is one of the biggest challenges for chemistry and the natural sciences. After decades of experimental research and multiple intriguing discoveries, a generally accepted theory for how and why life emerged from chemistry is still missing. Most existing research on prebiotic chemistry is guided by the anticipation of specific key molecules and focuses on reaction yields. The dynamics of reactions, as well as their mechanism, remain, in most cases, elusive. My approach to prebiotic chemistry uses the tools from synthetic organic chemistry and catalysis research to study prebiotic and biological reactions: high-throughput experimentation, data-science-based optimization of reaction conditions, analysis of reaction mechanisms, characterization of the reaction by kinetic studies/mechanistic experiments, and computational chemistry.

For examples of the use of physical organic and mechanistic tools within the broader context of prebiotic chemistry, see: RJM,* Moran,* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202212237 or RJM,* Moran,* ChemRxiv 2023.

Catalytic Reaction Networks

Seemingly simple catalytic organic reactions may proceed via multiple competing pathways, creating complex reaction networks. Such reaction networks can not only be found within classical synthetic organic chemistry but also within reactions relevant to the emergence of life in water. We use a combination of mechanistic experiments, reaction kinetics, and systematic modeling of reaction pathways with computations to elucidate such reaction mechanisms. 

An example of a reaction that yields such a complex network is the Lewis-acid catalyzed conjugate addition reaction of allyl silanes or silyl enol ethers (RJM* et al., ACS Catal. 2022, 12, 15298).