Dr Wesley Moran

Wes was born in Birmingham. He obtained his MChem and PhD (2004) under the supervision of Professor Joe Harrity at the University of Sheffield. He then spent two years at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Professor Jim Morken’s group followed by 17 months at The University of Manchester in Professor Jonathan Clayden’s group. He began his independent career in September 2007 as a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at the University of Huddersfield and in August 2009 was promoted to Senior Lecturer.

The Moran Group

We are based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Huddersfield. Our research is in the field of synthetic organic chemistry and we are particularly interested in polyvalent iodine compounds, C-H activation and the synthesis of small molecules.

Meet The Group

Back l-r: W. Moran, A. Alhalib, D. Hamnett. Front l-r: E. Bennett, A. Rodríguez, M. Aborways.

Dr. Arantxa Rodríguez, postdoctoral researcher

Arantxa is from Asturias, Spain. She started in the group in December 2007 and was the first member. She has contributed to many projects. Her work has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust and the University of Huddersfield.

Mr. Ali Alhalib, 2nd year PhD student

Ali is investigating intramolecular cyclisation reactions of alkynes. Outside the lab he likes watching wildlife programmes on TV, walking in the countryside and travelling to new places.

Mr. David Hamnett, 2nd year PhD student

David is conducting research into iodonium salt chemistry. He enjoys fine dining, cinema and real ale.

Mrs Marwa Aborways, 1st year PhD student

Marwa is working on Pd-catalysed oxidative coupling reactions. She is from Libya and has two small children.

Miss Elizabeth Bennett, 3rd year undergraduate placement student

Liz is investigating an enantioselective chiral aryl iodide catalysed oxidative cyclisation route to tetrahydrofurans. She likes animals, hiking and the Saw films.

Mrs Eman Zawia, 1st year PhD student

Mrs Somaia Kamouka, 1st year PhD student

Previous members of the group

• Francis Kayamba, MSc 2012
• Kerry MacRory, 3rd year undergraduate placement student 2009-2010
• Olivia Davis, Nuffield funded college Summer student 2012
• Jessica Moon, Nuffield funded college Summer student 2011
• Benjamin Pople, Nuffield funded college Summer student 2010
• Amy Rowland, Nuffield funded undergraduate Summer student 2009
• Bibi Shehrbano, University of Huddersfield/AstraZeneca funded Summer student 2009

Research Lectures

• 23/01/2013 University of Central Lancashire
• 18/10/2012 GlaxoSmithKline Young Academics Symposium 2012, Stevenage
• 13/09/2012 Gregynog Organic Synthesis Workshop, Wales
• 30/03/2012 Young Chemists Conference, Imperial College London
• 11/01/2012 Syngenta, Bracknell
• 24/09/2011 Gregynog Organic Synthesis Workshop, Wales
• 14/07/2010 Inaugural International Conference on Molecular & Functional Catalysis, Singapore
• 15/04/2010 RSC Organic Section North East Region Symposium, University of Durham
• 21/09/2008 Gregynog Organic Synthesis Workshop, Wales

Selected Publications

22. Oxidative Rearrangement of Tertiary Propargylic Alcohols
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Synlett 2013, 24, 102-104

21. Hypoiodous acid initiated rearrangement of tertiary propargylic alcohols to α-iodoenones
W. J. Moran and A. Rodríguez
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2012, 10, 8590-8592

20. Oxidative rearrangement of indoles to oxindoles
W. J. Moran, K. L. MacRory and A. Rodríguez
RSC Advances 2012, 2, 8962-8964

19. Chiral Aryl Iodide-Catalyzed Enantioselective a-Oxidation of Ketones
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Synthesis 2012, 44, 1178-1182

18. Metal-catalyzed Furan Synthesis. A Review.
W. J. Moran and A. Rodríguez
Organic Preparations and Procedures International 2012, 44, 103-130

17. An oxidative Hosomi-Sakurai strategy toward the synthesis of illioliganones B and C
W. J. Moran and A. Rodríguez
RSC Advances 2011, 1, 33-35

16. Iodobenzene-Catalyzed Intramolecular Oxidative Cyclization Reactions of δ-Alkynyl β-Ketoesters
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Organic Letters 2011, 13, 2220-2223

15. Furan synthesis through AuCl₃-catalysed cycloisomerisation of β-alkynyl β-ketoesters
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Tetrahedron Letters 2011, 52, 2605-2607

14. The Nitrile Functionality as a Directing Group in the Palladium-Catalysed Addition of Aryl Boronic Acids to Alkynes
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Letters in Organic Chemistry 2010, 7, 7-10

13. Palladium-catalysed direct alkenylation of sydnones
A. Rodríguez, R. V. Fennessy and W. J. Moran
Tetrahedron Letters 2009, 50, 3942-3944

12. Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling Reactions: 1,1-Difunctionalization of Activated Alkenes
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2009, 1313-1316

11. Palladium-catalysed direct arylation of sydnones
A. Rodríguez and W. J. Moran
Synthesis 2009, 650-654

10. The Challenge of Atropisomerism in Drug Discovery
J. Clayden, W. J. Moran, P. J. Edwards and S. R. LaPlante
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2009, 48, 6398-6401

9. Enantioselective synthesis of an atropisomeric diaryl ether
J. Clayden, C. P. Worrall, W. J. Moran and M. Helliwell
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2008, 47, 3234-3237

8. Synthesis of densely functionalised arenes using [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions
J. Clayden and W. J. Moran
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry 2007, 5, 1028-1030

7. The Twisted Amide 2-Quinuclidone: 60 Years in the Making
J. Clayden and W. J. Moran
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2006, 45, 7118-7120

6. Rh-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of vinyl boronates for the construction of secondary boronic esters
W. J. Moran and J. P. Morken
Organic Letters 2006, 8, 2413-2419

5. Development of a Flexible Approach to Nuphar Alkaloids via Two Enantiospecific Piperidine-Forming Reactions
K. M. Goodenough, W. J. Moran, P. Raubo and J. P. A. Harrity
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 2005, 70, 207-213

4. A Concise Asymmetric Route to Nuphar Alkaloids. A Formal Synthesis of (-)-Deoxynupharidine
W. J. Moran, K. M. Goodenough, P. Raubo and J. P. A. Harrity
Organic Letters 2003, 5, 3427-3429

3. Development of a [3+3] Cycloaddition Strategy toward Functionalized Piperidines
S. J. Hedley, W. J. Moran, D. A. Price and J. P. A. Harrity
The Journal of Organic Chemistry 2003, 68, 4286-4292

2. Unusual macrocyclic spirocycles from tandem metathesis reactions
R. A. J. Wybrow, L. A. Johnson, B. Auffray, W. J. Moran, H. Adams and J. P. A. Harrity
Tetrahedron Letters 2002, 43, 7851-7854

1. Synthesis of Functionalised Piperidines Through a [3 + 3] Cycloaddition Strategy
S. J. Hedley, W. J. Moran, A. H. G. P. Prenzel, D. A. Price and J. P. A. Harrity
Synlett 2001, 10, 1596-1598

2013

Rodríguez, A. and Moran, W. (2013) ‘Oxidative Rearrangement of Tertiary Propargylic Alcohols’ Synlett , 24 (1), pp. 102-104. ISSN 0936-5214

Rodríguez, A. and Moran, W. (2013) ‘Oxidative Rearrangement of Tertiary Propargylic Alcohols’ Synlett , 24 (1), pp. 102-104. ISSN 0936-5214

2012

Moran, W. and Rodriguez, A. (2012) ‘Hypoiodous acid initiated rearrangement of tertiary propargylic alcohols to ?-iodoenones’ Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry , 10 (43), pp. 8590-8592. ISSN 1477-0520

Moran, W., MacRory, K. and Rodriguez, A. (2012) ‘Oxidative rearrangement of indoles to oxindoles’ RSC Advances , 2 (24), pp. 8962-8964. ISSN 2046-2069

Rodríguez, A. and Moran, W. (2012) ‘Chiral Aryl Iodide-Catalyzed Enantioselective ?-Oxidation of Ketones ’ Synthesis , 44 (8), pp. 1178-1182. ISSN 00397881

Moran, W. and Rodríguez, A. (2012) ‘Metal-catalyzed Furan Synthesis. A Review’ Organic Preparations and Procedures International , 44 (2), pp. 103-130. ISSN 0030-4948

2011

Moran, W. and Rodriguez, A. (2011) ‘An oxidative Hosomi-Sakurai strategy toward the synthesis of illioliganones B and C’ RSC Advances , 1 (1), p. 33. ISSN 2046-2069

Rodriguez, A. and Moran, W. (2011) ‘Iodobenzene-Catalyzed Intramolecular Oxidative Cyclization Reactions of ?-Alkynyl ?-Ketoesters’ Organic Letters , 13 (9), pp. 2220-2223. ISSN 15237060

Rodriguez, A. and Moran, W. (2011) ‘Furan synthesis through AuCl3-catalysed cycloisomerisation of ?-alkynyl ?-ketoesters’ Tetrahedron Letters , 52 (20), pp. 2605-2607. ISSN 0040-4039

2010

Rodriguez, A. and Moran, W. (2010) ‘The Nitrile Functionality as a Directing Group in the Palladium-Catalysed Addition of Aryl Boronic Acids to Alkynes ’ Letters in Organic Chemistry , 7 (1), pp. 7-10. ISSN 1570-1786

2009

Clayden, J., Moran, W., Edwards, P. and LaPlante, S. (2009) ‘The Challenge of Atropisomerism in Drug Discovery’ Angewandte Chemie International Edition , 48 (35), pp. 6398-6401. ISSN 14337851

Rodriguez, A., Fennessy, R. and Moran, W. (2009) ‘Palladium-catalysed direct alkenylation of sydnones’ Tetrahedron Letters , 50 (27), pp. 3942-3944. ISSN 0040-4039

Rodriguez, A. and Moran, W. (2009) ‘Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Coupling Reactions: 1,1-Difunctionalization of Activated Alkenes ’ European Journal of Organic Chemistry (9), pp. 1313-1316. ISSN 1434-193X

Rodriguez, A. and Moran, W. (2009) ‘Palladium-catalysed direct arylation of sydnones’ Synthesis , 2009 (4), pp. 650-654. ISSN 00397881

2008

Clayden, J., Worrall, C., Moran, W. and Helliwell, M. (2008) ‘Enantioselective synthesis of an atropisomeric diaryl ether’ Angewandte Chemie International Edition , 47 (17), pp. 3234-3237. ISSN 14337851

2007

Clayden, J. and Moran, W. (2007) ‘Synthesis of densely functionalised arenes using [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions’ Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry , 5 (7), p. 1028. ISSN 14770520

2006

Clayden, J. and Moran, W. (2006) ‘The Twisted Amide 2-Quinuclidone: 60 Years in the Making’ Angewandte Chemie International Edition , 45 (43), pp. 7118-7120. ISSN 14337851

Moran, W. and Morken, J. (2006) ‘Rh-catalyzed enantioselective hydrogenation of vinyl boronates for the construction of secondary boronic esters’ Organic Letters , 8 (11), pp. 2413-2419. ISSN 15237060

2005

Goodenough, K., Moran, W., Raubo, P. and Harrity, J. (2005) ‘Development of a Flexible Approach to Nuphar Alkaloids via Two Enantiospecific Piperidine-Forming Reactions’ The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 70 (1), pp. 207-213. ISSN 00223263

2003

Moran, W., Goodenough, K., Raubo, P. and Harrity, J. (2003) ‘A Concise Asymmetric Route to Nuphar Alkaloids. A Formal Synthesis of (?)-Deoxynupharidine’ Organic Letters , 5 (19), pp. 3427-3429. ISSN 15237060

Hedley, S., Moran, W., Price, D. and Harrity, J. (2003) ‘Development of a [3+3] Cycloaddition Strategy toward Functionalized Piperidines’ The Journal of Organic Chemistry , 68 (11), pp. 4286-4292. ISSN 00223263

2002

Wybrow, R., Johnson, L., Auffray, B., Moran, W., Adams, H. and Harrity, J. (2002) ‘Unusual macrocyclic spirocycles from tandem metathesis reactions ’ Tetrahedron Letters , 43 (44), pp. 7851-7854. ISSN 0040-4039

2001

Hedley, S., Moran, W., Prenzel, A., Price, D. and Harrity, J. (2001) ‘Synthesis of Functionalised Piperidines Through a [3 + 3] Cycloaddition Strategy’ Synlett (10), pp. 1596-1598. ISSN 09365214