García-Río
Liñas de investigación
Reactividade e Catálise
Investigación
Starting in late 80th as a group interested in organic reaction mechanisms, we have evolved towards a more diverse group with deep expertise in reactivity in general. We strongly believe that a deep knowledge of reactivity patterns yield important useful and practical information.
Our areas of interest are wide and diverse, from microheterogeneous media such as microemulsions or liposomes to host-guest complexes, from cyclodextrins and similar compounds and even mixed systems surfactant-cyclodextrins to new reaction media like green solvents such as ionic liquids.
Our approach is always related with reaction kinetics. After a careful selection of a model reaction we use it as a probe to gain information about structures and behaviour of such complex systems.
Our aim is to design and develop better reaction conditions: milder, green, more efficient, cheaper and environmentally friendly. The following schemes highlight some of areas currently active being developed in our group:
Supramolecular Chemistry
- Thermodynamic study of host:guest complexes (cyclodextrins, calixarenes, curcubiturils, etc) in highly aqueous media.
- Kinetic study of the inclusion complex formation.
- Modification of the chemical reactivity and catalytic effects resulting from the formation of supramolecular complexes.
Colloidal Systems
- Study of the adsorption kinetic process in the air-water interface for different kinds of surfactants.
- New surfactants derived from amino acids for colloidal aggregates like micelles, vesicles and microemulsions.
- Modification of the chemical reactivity as a consequence of the microcompartmentalization of reagents and its application as an alternative to phase transfer catalysis.
- Simulation of the controlled released from host:guest complexes to micelles or liposomes.
- Interaction of colloidal systems with proteins.
Self-Organization of Supramolecular Systems
- Kinetic and thermodynamic effects on rotaxanes formation by combination of diblock and triblock copolymers with cyclodextrins.
- Micellar aggregation of host:guest complexes.
- Design of aggregated vesicles through self-association of supramolecular complexes made up of calixarenes and conventional surfactants.
Reaction Mechanisms
- Kinetic Study of organolithium reactivity in THF at low temperature.
- Study of reaction mechanisms in Diels-Alder reactions, nucleophilic aromatic substitutions and related σ-complexation processes.
Ionic Liquids
- Ionic Liquids as new reaction media.
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Colloidal aggregates (micelles and microemulsions) based on Ionic Liquids as continuous medium, disperse medium and/or surfactant.