Collaboration between Sweden - Thailand for synthesis of natural products and pharmaceutically interesting compounds. Samarbete mellan Sverige - Thailand för syntes av naturprodukter och farmaceutiskt intressanta föreningar. Prof Andersson focus on the synthesis and application of iridium- and ruthenium- based catalysts. In the present project, we will put our catalysts to the test and evaluate them in a number of syntheses of natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds. Prof Kongkathip (Kasetsart University), works on the synthesis of oseltamivir phosphate or Tamiflu, which is a second-generation neuraminidase inhibitor with improved oral bioavailability. They have developed a synthesis of Tamiflu and are looking for a catalyst to improve the yields. A library of metal catalysts will be made available for their evaluation. Quinone methides have been implicated as the ultimate cytotoxins responsible for the effects of antitumor drugs, antibiotics, and DNA alkylators. Prof Ploypradith (Chulabhorn Institute) is involved in the synthesis of new ortho-quinones. Our interest is in developing chiral catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of these compounds. Prof Vichai Reutrakul (Mahidol University) aim for the synthesis of fluorinated bioactive molecules used as drugs for treatment of several types of cancer. Our research group will be exploring the total synthesis of caged xanthones and pyranonaphthoquinone. The outcome of this collaboration aims in using chiral catalysts for the asymmetric synthesis of naturally derived bioactive compounds. The collaboration between the partners will be of mutual benefit and will be carried out by researchers from both countries together. Describe what will be done and why. Prof Kongkathip´s group is involved in the total synthesis of anti-influenza drugs. The influenza virus infects approximately 600,000,000 people globally each year, resulting in 250,000-500,000 deaths. They have previously established methods for the synthesis of oseltamivir phosphate or Tamiflu. However, debenzylation of the benzyl protecting group by conventional catalytic hydrogenation methods using a palladium catalyst always resulted in low yield and required a long reaction time. They are looking for an efficient catalyst which can be used in their synthetic process and give high yields. Catalysts will be prepared in Sweden and sent to Thailand for evaluation. Alternatively, a student could be sent to Sweden to work with the catalysts and the synthesis in my lab at Stockholm University. Prof Ploypradith´s group is involved in the development of new synthetic methods involving ortho-quinone methides as the reactive intermediates as well as total synthesis of natural products via the intermediacy of quinone methides. Many quinone methides show pronounced biological activity and have been implicated as the ultimate cytotoxins responsible for the effects of such agents as antitumor drugs, antibiotics, and DNA alkylators. Our interest is in developing chiral catalysts for asymmetric synthesis of the chroman and diarylmethane cores via quinone methides. Sweden will attempt further development of some novel enantioselective processes involving quinone methides. Prof Reutrakul´s group is engaged in total synthesis and structure modification of natural products have been focus of the current research trend. Organofluorine compounds have become ubiquitous in our modern life, finding numerous applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials science. With the expanding desire for unique organofluorine compounds, there has been rapid increase in the development of new synthetic methodologies and reagents for selective incorporation of fluorine atoms or fluoroalkyl groups into organic molecules over the last decade. The total synthesis and structure modification of natural products have been demonstrated to be important technology for modern drug development. The modified natural products represent substantial percentage of the new drugs and new chemical entity. Our overall purpose and aim are to utilize these technologies for the efficient and facile production of bioactive molecules. Our strength also in the area of cell-based biological assays both at the overall biological activities and the mechanistic levels. Explain in what way the new knowledge can be important. In this application, the groups from Thailand and from Sweden wish to expand the scope of their present research and explore the various routes where the groups areas of expertise can be beneficial to each other. Asymmetric hydrogenation as a key step to enable new routes to chiral compounds, including application to total synthesis is one aspect that will be addressed. This collaboration will also enable the Swedish group to test their catalysts in the application of natural product synthesis and more importantly the natural products of medicinal interests as well as other compounds with structurally important cores can be successfully prepared and evaluated. Describe how international collaboration can contribute to this research area. The collaboration between the two laboratories will be of mutual benefit. Each partner will contribute to the collaboration. The collaborative parts of the project will take place both in Thailand and in Sweden, and will be carried out by researchers from both laboratories together. The catalysts will be prepared by experts in Sweden and evaluated in Thailand in specific reactions. To ensure efficient transfer of technology and know-how, the exchanges will be accompanied by personnel exchanges in which researchers travel from one country to the other to work for a period of 1-3 months dur