Professor of Chemistry
CONTACT DETAILS:
Address: School of Chemistry, Bio 21 Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Room: Bio 21 Inst. 538
Email: carlhs@unimelb.edu.au
Teaching responsibilities
Field of expertise
Free Radical and Antioxidant Chemistry
Free radicals are ubiquitous, reactive chemical entities. It is well established that cell damage associated with cardiovascular disease, ischemia/trauma and inflammation is often mediated by free radicals and related reactive oxygen species. In addition, atmospheric pollutants together with UV radiation can serve as sources of biological stress that involve free radicals as the principal mediators.
In addition, many commercially valuable products deteriorate through processes that involve free radicals. For example, oxidative stress can result in polymer degradation and food spoilage. The fundamental understanding of the factors that control free radical reactions and the prevention of radical damage know no frontiers.
Perhaps paradoxically, it is the very reactivity of free radicals that makes them useful intermediates in chemical synthesis, especially in the preparation of complex organic molecules with high chemo- regio- and stereo-control. In addition, by harnessing freeradical reactivity, biological processes can be controlled, in turn leading to the prevention of disease and the development of new treatments for disease states mediated by free radicals.
Work in the Schiesser group is currently directed toward improving our understanding of free radical processes and to building on this knowledge in the design and preparation of novel molecules. Work is currently being directed in four areas:
Free radical chemistry involving selenium
Selenium-containing antibiotics, carbohydrates, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents are current synthetic targets because of the radical quenching properties of organic selenides.
Stereoselective free radical chemistry
Most new chemical entities for use in medicine are required to be stereochemically pure. The development of new stereoselective free radical chemistry is of interest because of its potential impact to the pharmaceutical industry.
The development of degradation-resistant surface coatings
In collaboration with industry, improvement in performance of surface coatings is of importance because of the consequences of exposure to the harsh Australian environment.
Computer modelling studies
An important adjunct to our synthetic work is the use of high-end computer modelling techniques that aid in our understanding of free radical processes and provide a predictive tool.
Selected
Publications:
- Matsubara, H.; Ryu, I.; Schiesser, C. H., Theoretical Study on the Isomerization Behavior between a.b-Unsaturated Acyl Radicals and a-Ketenyl Radicals, J. Org. Chem. 2005, 70, 3610-3617.
- Tripp, J. C.; Schiesser, C. H.; Curran, D. P., Stereochemistry of hexenyl radical cyclizations with t-butyl and related large groups:substituent and temperature effects, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 5518-5527.
- Carland, M. W.; Martin, R. L.; Schiesser, C. H., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2004, 2, 2612 – 2618.
- Dakternieks, D; Duthie, A.; Zeng, L.; Perchyonok, V. T.; Schiesser, C. H., Tetrahedron: Asymmetry, 2004, 15, 2547–2554.
- Fenner, T.; Schiesser, C. H., Molecules, 2004, 9, 472–479.
- Zeng, L.; Perchyonok, V. T.; Schiesser, C. H., Tetrahedron: Asymmetry, 2004, 15, 995–999.
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