Research that focuses on the activation of inert chemical compounds plays a key-role for a sustainable access to chemical products. In addition, efficient activation reactions should offer significant economic advantages over conventional processes which are nowadays used in chemical industry. Based on this assessment, the scientific aim of the Research Training Group (Graduiertenkolleg) is the development of new methods for the selective activation of less reactive C-H bonds and the significant improvement of existing methods with regard to efficiency, selectivity, scope and robustness. This will be achieved by interdisciplinary research projects which focus on a number of selected important C-H bond activation reactions.
In general, the starting point is the generation of a deep understanding of the activation mechanisms, which will be achieved by the combined use of the most advanced analytical and theoretical methods. The deliberate selection of different classes of activation processes and the required various methods of investigation from all areas of chemistry and biochemistry guarantee that the PhD students of the Research Training Group will be acquainted with a wide and interdisciplinary methodological knowledge that is required for successful work in this research area of high future relevance.