Cal Patel

Published in Science, we report a way to prepare fluorochemicals directly from fluorspar without HF. 2 years ago we thought this was impossible. Made a reality thanks to our incredible team @Oxchemmike @BrowneGroup @GroupAldridge @Fluo_Rok @bobbypaton and lots of ball milling!

@gwskays Are you still selling a ticket?

@_yngk interested if you're still selling!

if anybody want 2 tickets to the maiden voyage festival in burgess park on 9th aug pls lmk🙏

Nitrate reduction at 25 °C? A little iron is all it takes! 🪄 The use of cheap iron(III) nitrate (30€ per kg!) enables the in-situ generation of aryldiazonium salts which can be engaged in sulfonylation & fluorination reactions! Out now in @J_A_C_S 🔓 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja…

🚨RADICAL RETHINK: STEREORETENTIVE CROSS COUPLING UNLOCKED🚨 Today in @ChemRxiv (chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxi…) the first method for stereoretentive radical cross-coupling is disclosed. No fancy ligands or redox needed—just a Ni-diazene twist. 120 years after Gomberg, a new chapter begins. Quick summary: Since Gomberg discovered free radicals over 120 years ago and Kochi pioneered radical cross-coupling in the 1970s, this field has surged with interest for linking C(sp3) fragments. Unlike traditional polar methods (e.g., Suzuki), radical cross-coupling excels with saturated systems, offering mild conditions and chemoselectivity to build complex molecules from common fragments. Until now, enantiospecific radical cross-coupling was deemed impossible due to rapid racemization, but today that changes with readily available sulfonylhydrazides and a simple Ni-catalyst. This stereoretentive approach, enabled by a unique Ni-diazene transition state and driven by loss of N2, skips chiral ligands and redox steps, opening new possibilities for synthesis.

Enantioconvergent nucleophilic substitution via synergistic phase-transfer catalysis bit.ly/4hAbjus

Interested to learn more about furans! check out our newest @J_A_C_S @1999Nils pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja…

Delighted to share our latest research on a simple coupling reaction of two strained diradicaloids, just published in @Nature. Congrats to @TenaArismel, Christina, @HuilingShao, and Andrew, plus our amazing collaborator @Houk1000! PDF: rdcu.be/d9Chn @UCLA @uclachem

Thrilled to share our newest work on the enantioconvergent synthesis of alkyl fluorides with KF, made possible by a synergistic combination of chiral urea and onium salt catalysts. Out today in @NatureCatalysis doi.org/10.1038/s41929… Congrats to @Claire_doo and all of the team!

Delighted to see my PhD research published today in @NatureCatalysis! Here we disclose the latest work in our hydrogen bonding research programme, synthesising alkyl fluorides using KF under synergistic phase transfer catalysis. Thanks to all involved who made this possible 🎉

In a new @Nature study, Prof. Ryan Shenvi (@Shenvi_Lab) demonstrated how computational tools and predictive modeling could synthesize 25 picrotoxin—complex plant molecules that could inform drug discovery for brain diseases. More: ow.ly/JkNw50UCRbE

What an Incredible Start to 2025! I am overjoyed to share that our research has been published in Science. As the sole corresponding author, this recognition feels profoundly rewarding and almost surreal. science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

@JosefBoronski @GroupAldridge Very impressive work, congratulations!

A hexavalent nickel complex! Reductive addition of three Be-Be bonds at Ni(0) produces Ni(BeCp)6. @GroupAldridge pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja…

@AndryjBorys @GouverneurGroup @crimmingroup Cheers !!

@GouverneurGroup @CalumPatel @crimmingroup Congratulations Dr Patel!

Enormous congratulations to @CalumPatel for passing his DPhil viva this afternoon! Thanks to @crimmingroup and Jon for examining! 🥂🧪🎉

@JenLoveChem @GouverneurGroup @Nature @Fluo_Rok Thank you!

@GouverneurGroup @Nature @CalumPatel @Fluo_Rok Fantastic, Cal!

Delighted to share our latest work in @Nature on the use of oxalic acid to activate Fluorspar in water at low temperature in a Lewis acid-enabled process. Enormous thanks to Immo, Anirban and @CalumPatel, and Gabriele Pupo and Andrew Schwarz (@Fluo_Rok) nature.com/articles/s4158…

I was deeply honoured to present my PhD research at the Festkolloquium commemorating the birthday of Prof. Konrad Seppelt at the Freie Universität Berlin. I thank CRC 1349 “Fluorine-Specific Interactions” and Solvay Fluor GmbH for their generous award.

@CarolynBertozzi @GouverneurGroup @Nature @Fluo_Rok Thank you so much!

Amazing collaboration with Stoltz group @Caltech and Davies group @EmoryUniversity! Our part was to achieve tetra-CH hydroxylation via weak coordination at very late stage of complex total synthesis: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…