Dr. Juan Manuel Cuerva Carvajal  

Juan M. Cuerva was born in Granada (Spain) in 1969. He received his Degree from the University of Granada (1992) and obtained his Ph. D. Degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (1997) supervised by Prof. A. Echavarren, and granted by Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid. In 1997 he was engaged as Assistant Professor in the Department of Organic Chemistry at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. In 1998 he was appointed as Assistant Professor in the Universidad de Granada, and finally promoted to Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry in 2003. From January 2010, he is head of the group "Organometallic Chemistry and Molecular Electronic". He has been a visiting scientist at the University of Bonn.

List of Publications:

-Two sesquilignans from the woods of Abies marocana. Phytochemistry 1996, 41, 609.

-Palladium-catalyzed reductive coupling of acid chlorides with b-stannyl enones. J. Org. Chem. 1994, 59, 4179.

-Design and synthetic applications of new heteromethallacycles. Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg. 1994, 103, 549.

-A concise synthesis of Monomorine I by way of palladium-catalyzed reductive coupling.  Tetrahedron Lett. 1994, 35, 7435.

-Michael reaction of stabilized carbon nucleophiles catalized by RuH₂(PPh₃)₄. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 8553.

-Cationic intermediates in the intramolecular insertion of alkenes into (h3-allyl)palladium(II) complexes. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1996, 36, 767.

-Synthesis of heterocyclic quinones by aza-Diels-Alder reaction of 4-stannyl-1-azadiene. Synlett 1997, 173.

-Synthesis of 10-epi-elemol by a highly stereoselective intramolecular palladium-catalyzed coupling of an allylstannane with an allyl acetate. J. Org. Chem. 1997, 62, 7540.

-Direct synthesis of N-aryl quinone imine acetals and quinol imines from acetals. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1999, 38, 1449.

-New synthesis of pyridoacridines based on an intramolecular aza-Diels-Alder reaction followed by an unprecedented rearrangement. Chem. Commun. 1999, 1721.

-Preparation of bioactive podolactones via a new Pd-catalysed bislactonizsation reaction. Synthesis of oidiolactone C. Tetrahedron Lett. 2000, 41, 5203.

-Synthetic applications of the thermal rearrangement of azonides: First enantiospecific synthesis of marine metabolite Luffarin W. Synlett 2000, 1269.

-Approach to the synthesis of antitumor quassinoids from labdane diterpenes: an efficient synthesis of a picrasane-related intermediate. Org. Lett. 2001, 3, 647.

-A New strategy for the synthesis of cyclic terpenoids based on the radical opening of acyclic epoxypolyenes. J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 4074.

-Intramolecular Michael-type addition of azadienes to 1,4-naphtoquinones instead of aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition: a synthesis of ascididemine. J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1 2002, 1360.

-Effects of solvent and water in Ti(III)-mediated radical cyclization of epoxygermacrolidas. Straightforward synthesis and absolute stereochemistry of (+)-3ª-hydroxyreynosin and related eudesmanolides. J. Org. Chem. 2002, 67, 2566.

-Intramolecular Coupling of allyl carboxylates with allyl stannanes and allyl silanes: a new type of reductive elimination reaction?. Chem. Eur. J. 2002, 8, 3620.

-First Synthesis of Achilleol A using Titanium(III) chemistry. Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43, 2793.

-Titanium-catalysed, selective reduction of ketones in aqueous media. A safe, mild, inexpensive procedure for the synthesis of secundary alcohols via radical chemistry. Tetrahedron Lett. 2003, 44, 1079.

-Unified synthesis of eudesmanolides combining biomimetic strategics with homogeneous catalysis and free-radical chemistry. Org. Lett. 2003, 5, 1935.

-Titanocene Catalyzed cascade cyclization of epoxypolyprenes: Straightforward síntesis of terpenoids via free-radical chemistry. Chem. Eur. J. 2004, 10, 1778.

-Palladium mediated C-H activation in the field of terpenoids: synthesis of rostratone.  Tetrahedron Lett. 2004, 45, 4293.

-General approach to polycyclic meroterpenoids based on Stille couplings and titanocene catalysis  J. Org. Chem. 2004, 69, 5803.

-Unprecedented Barbier-type reactions catalysed by titanocene(III). Chem. Commun. 2004, 2628.

-Enantiospecific strategy towards oxygen-bridged terpenoids. unprecedented tandem reaction combining transannular cyclization and ring-contraction processes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2005, 44, 322.

-Total synthesis of 3-hydroxy-drimanes mediated by titanocene(III). Evaluation of their antifeedant activity. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 712.

-Exploiting PdII and TiIII Chemistry to Obtain γ-Dioxygenated Terpenoids: Synthesis of Rostratone and Novel Approaches to Aphidicolin and Pyripyropene A. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 8265.

-Bassialone: an antimicrobial precursor of cephalosporolides E and F from the entomoparasitic fungus Beuveria Bassiana. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2005, 3, 1772.

- Composition of the essential oils of Cistus ladaniferus and c. monspeliensis from morocco. J. Ess. Oil  2005, 17, 553.

-7-endo Radical Cyclizations Catalyzed by Titanocene(III). Straightforward Synthesis of Terpenoids with Seven-Membered Carbocycles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 17, 14911.

-Aromatic carbonyl compound reduction and pinacol coupling processes mediated by titanocene(III)/Zn in water. Synthesis 2005, 2619.

-The growing impact of titanocene(III)-mediated radical epoxide opening on the synthesis of natural products. Mini-Reviews in Organic Chemistry 2006, 3, 23.

-An improved synthesis of Kagan's menthyl substituted titanocene and zirconocene dichloride, comparison of their crystal structures, and preliminary catalyst evaluation. J. Organomet. Chem. 2006, 691, 2327.

-Composition of the essential oil from the seeds of Abies marocana. J. Ess. Oil  2006, 18, 260.

-Cp₂TiCl in natural product synthesis. Top. Curr. Chem. 2006, 264, 63.

-Water: the ideal hydrogen-atom source in free-radical chemistry mediated by TiIII and other single-electron-transfer metals?. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 5522.

-Granadaene: proposed structure of the group B streptococcus polyenic pigment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2006, 72, 6367.

- Transition-metal-catalyzed allylic substitution and titanocene-catalyzed epoxypolyene cyclization as a powerful tool for the preparation of terpenoids. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2006, 4115.

-Stereocontrolled Coupling between Aldehydes and Conjugated Alkenals Mediated by Ti^III/H₂O. Org. Lett. 2006, 8, 5433-5436.

-Unprecedented Hydrogen Transfer from Water to Alkenes and Alkynes Mediated by Ti(III) and Late Transition Metals. Org. Lett. 2007, 9, 2195-2198.

-Sodium Tetramethoxyborate: An Efficient Catalyst for Michael Additions of Stabilized Carbon Nucleophiles A. G. Campaña, N. Fuentes, E. Gómez-Bengoa, C. Mateo, J. E. Oltra, A. M. Echavarren, J. M. Cuerva J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 8127-8130.

-Ti-Catalyzed Reformatsky-Type Coupling between -Halo Ketones and Aldehydes R. E. Estévez, M. Paradas, A. Millán, T. Jiménez, R. Robles, J. M. Cuerva, J. E. Oltra J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 1616-1619.

-"Titanium-Catalyzed Enantioselective Synthesis of a-Ambrinol" J. Justicia, A. G. Campaña, B. Bazdi, R. Robles, J. M. Cuerva, J. E. Oltra Adv. Synth. Catal. 2008, 350, 571-576.

-"Divergent Titanium-mediated Allylations with Modulation by Nickel or Palladium" A. G. Campaña, B. Bazdi, N. Fuentes, R. Robles, J. M. Cuerva, J. E. Oltra, S. Porcel, A. M. Echavarren Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 7515-7519.

-"Ti-Catalyzed Barbier-type Allylations and Related Reactions" R. E. Estévez, J. Justicia, B. Bazdi, N. Fuentes, M. Paradas, D. Choquesillo-Lazarte, J. M. García-Ruiz, R. Robles, A. Gansäuer, J. M. Cuerva, J. E. Oltra Chem., Eur. J. 2009, 15, 2774-2791.

-"Unexpected Ti^III/Mn-Promoted Pinacol Coupling of Ketones" M. Paradas, A. G. Campaña, R. E. Estévez, L. Älvarez de Cienfuegos, T. Jiménez, R. Robles, J. M. Cuerva, J. E. Oltra J. Org. Chem. 2009, 74, 3616-3619.

-"Efficient Propargylation of Aldehydes and Ketones Catalyzed by Titanocene(III)" J. Justicia, I. Sancho-Sanz, E. Álvarez-Manzaneda, J. E. Oltra, J. M. Cuerva Adv. Synth. Catal. 2009, 351, 2295-2300.

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"Unprecedented H-Atom Transfer from Water to Ketyl Radicals mediated by Cp₂TiCl" M. Paradas, A. G. Campaña, M. L. Marcos, J. Justicia, A. Haidour, R. Robles, D. J. Cárdenas, J. E. Oltra, J. M. Cuerva Dalton Trans., 2010, 39, 8796-8800.

-"Understanding the Exceptional Hydrogen-Atom Donor Characteristics of Water in Ti^III-Mediated Free-Radical Chemistry" M. Paradas, A. G. Campaña, T. Jiménez, R. Robles, J. E. Oltra, E. Buñuel, J. Justicia, D. J. Cárdenas, J. M. Cuerva J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 12748-12756.

-"Mn(0)-Mediated Chemoselective Reduction of Aldehydes. Application to the Synthesis of a-Deuterioalcohols" T. Jiménez, E. Barea, J. E. Oltra, J. M. Cuerva, J. Justicia J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 7022-7025.

-"on/off Electrochemical Switches Based on Quinone-Bisketals" N. Fuentes, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, A. Parra, D. Choquesillo-Lazarte, J. M. García-Ruiz, M. L. Marcos, E. Buñuel, M. Ribagorda, M. C. Carreño, D. J. Cárdenas, J. M. Cuerva Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 1586-1588. This article has received an special metion in the journal Chemicals&Engineering News (see here).

-"Titanium/Palladium-Mediated Regioselective Propargylation of Ketones Using Propargylic Carbontates as Pronucleophiles" A. Millán, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, A. Martín-Lasanta, A. G. Campaña, J. M. Cuerva Adv. Synth. Catal. 2011, 353, 73-78.

-"Ti/Pd Bimetallic Systems for the Efficient Allylation of Carbonyl Compounds and Homocoupling reactions" A. Millán, A. G. Campaña, B. Bazdi, D. Miguel, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, A. M. Echavarren, J. M. Cuerva Chem., Eur. J. 2011, 17, DOI: 10.1002/chem.201003315.

-"Titanocene(III)-Promoted Barbier-type Crotilation of Carbonyl Compounds" I. Sancho-Sanz, D. Miguel, A. Millán, R. E. Estévez, J. L. Oller-López, E. Álvarez-Manzaneda, R. Robles, J. M. Cuerva, J. Justicia J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 732-735.

-"Conductance and Application of Organic Molecule Pairs as Nanofuses" S. Rodríguez-Bolívar, F. M. Gómez-Camposa, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, N. Fuentes, D. J. Cárdenas, E. Buñuel, J. E. Carcellera, A. Parra, J. M. Cuerva Phys. Rev. B 2011, 83, 125424/1-125424/11.

-"Mild Method for the Selective Esterification of Carboxylic Acids Based on the Garegg-Samuelsson Reaction" S. Morcillo, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, A. J. Mota, J. Justicia, R. Robles J. Org. Chem. 2011, 76, 2277-2281.

-"Bioinspired Terpene Synthesis: a Radical Approach" J. Justicia, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, A. G. Campaña, D. Miguel, V. Jakoby, A. Gänsauer, J. M. Cuerva Chem. Soc. Rev. 2011, 40, 3525-3537.

-"Reduction Reactions in water, supercritical CO₂ and ionic liquids as green solvents" L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, R. Robles, D. Miguel, J. Justicia, J. M. Cuerva Chem. Sus. Chem. 2011, ASAP.

-"Water-based Hydrogen-Atom Wires as Mediators in Long-Range Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Enzymes: a New Twist on Water Reactivity" D. J. Cárdenas, J. M. Cuerva, M. Alías, E. Buñuel, A. G. Campaña Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 8318–8323.

-"Water-based Hydrogen-Atom Wires as Mediators in Long-Range Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer in Enzymes: a New Twist on Water Reactivity" N. Fuentes, A. Martín-Lasanta, L. Álvarez de Cienfuegos, M. Ribagorda, A. Parra, J. M. Cuerva Nanoscale 2011, aceppted.