Curriculum Vitae

Dr. George Heropoulos,

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Brief CV

1981: Degree in Chemistry, University of Athens
1985: PhD in Organometallic Chemistry, NHRF and University of Ioannina
1987-1989: Researcher, Environmental Studies Department, University of the Aegean
1989-1990: Researcher, (IOPC)
1991: Post-doctoral Fellow, Vrije Universiteit, Faculteit der Scheikunde, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1992-2000: Researcher, (IOPC)
2000-present: Senior Researcher, (IOPC)
2004: Greek representative in COST Action D32 "Chemistry in High-Energy Microenvironments"

Scientific fields of interest

• Organic chemistry
• Organic Free radicals
• Main-group organometallic chemistry
• Dendrimers
• Sonochemistry

Membership of Scientific Societies
Member of the Association of Greek Chemists
Member of the Association of Greek Researchers

Membership of Other Societies
Member of the Audiophile Club of Athens
Member of the Veteran Tennis Club of Greece

CURRENT RESEARCH

Chemistry in High-Energy Microenvironments

Use of High-Energy techniques (ultrasound, microwave).

Α) In the synthesis of fine chemicals.

This proposal concerns the application of High-Intensity Ultrasound (HIU) and Microwave (MW) in the synthesis of fine chemicals. In the last decade these non-conventional techniques have been increasingly exploited in organic synthesis, because these new energy sources bring reactions to completion in minutes rather than hours or days. They can also induce reactions that would be otherwise very laborious and bring out peculiar chemoselectivities, thus have also opening up new synthetic pathways. Although the application domains of HIU and MW do not overlap, they both have a great potential towards developing environment-friendly synthetic methods. Many reactions shall be studied under different conditions (sonication under pressure and HIU/MW combined).

Gas bubbles form and collapse when a liquid is energized by ultrasound.(K.S. Suslick and K. J. Kolbeck, University of Illinois; National Science Foundation)

Β) For Dendrimer synthesis (Marie Curie Transfer of Knowledge project, "Sopholides", i.e. Solid-Phase Phospholipid and Dendrimer Synthesis).

Partner laboratories in this project are those of Professor Mark Bradley (University of Edinburgh), Professor David Walton (University of Coventry) and Professor Andre Loupy (Universite Paris-Sud).
Dendrimer Chemistry is a rapidly expanding field of investigation largely because it is now clear that dendrimers have many potential applications. Their application for drug delivery, for exam¬ple, is being actively pursued while the benefits of their use in conjunction with Solid Phase Organic Synthesis (SPOS) have also been well demon¬strated. The use of High-Energy Techniques with microwaves and ultrasound, whose special applicability to SPOS is well documented, will be investigated.

Temperature dependence of fatty acid profile of Listeria monocytogenes.

This project is studied in cooperation with Prof. S. Mastronicolis (Food Chem. Lab., Depart. of Chem. Univ. of Athens).
The food-borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes represents a problem for the food industry because it is found ubiquitously in nature, it can grow at refrigeration temperatures, and it is capable of growth over a wide range of osmotically stressful environments such as salted foods and dry surfaces. Food handling and storage practices, such as refrigeration, that eliminate or suppress competitors therefore promote the growth of Listeria.

Listeria monocytogenes

Study of the physicochemical properties of organic molecules.

The study of the physicochemical properties of organic molecules, in particular the correlation of thermodynamic data for various homologous series, and the study of the interaction of aromatic radical anions of alkali metals with other compounds, such as those of phosphorus, by means of multinuclear NMR (1H, 13C, 31P, 6Li, 7Li).

Study of organometallic compounds (radical anions) in solution.

The study of organometallic compounds (radical anions), and their interaction with non-reducible salts in a search for organic-inorganic paramagnetic composites. The investigation of certain fundamental processes in solution, such as 1) the bonding situation between the anion and the cation, 2) solvation of the cation, 3) reorganization of the solvation sphere of the cation, 4) chemical stability of the radical anion, 5) thermodynamic stability of the radical anion and 6) reactivity of a radical anion, by NMR spectroscopy.

Collaborations

Prof. Mark Bradley, School of Chem, Combin. Ctr of Excell. University of Southampton
Prof. G. Cravotto, Dipartimento Sci & Tecnol Farmaco,University of Tourin
Prof. A Loupy Univ. Paris 11, CNRS, Lab React Select Supports, Orsay,
Prof. D. Walton, School of Science & Environm., University of Coventry
Prof. S. Mastronicolis Food Chem. Lab. Depart. Of Chem.University of Athens

Recent publications

Micha-Screttas M, Screttas C.G, Steele B.R and Heropoulos G.A.
Tetrahedron Lett. 2002, 43, 4871-4873.
"Chemical and physical evidence for metal-metal interchange between lithium alkoxides and dibutylmagnesium"

Catsoulacos D.P, Steele B.R, Heropoulos G.A, Micha-Screttas M, and Screttas C.G.
Tetrahedron. Lett. 2003, 44, 4575-4578.
"An imino-phosphine dendrimeric ligand and its evaluation in the Heck reaction"

Screttas C.G, Heropoulos G.A, Micha-Screttas M, Steele B.R, and Catsoulacos D.P. Tetrahedron. Lett. 2003, 44, 5633-5635.
"Reductive lithiation of alkyl phenyl sulfides in diethyl ether. A ready access to ? ?-dialkylbenzyllithiums"

Heropoulos G.A, Georgakopoulos S, and Steele B.R.
Tetrahedron Lett. 2005, 46, 2469-2473
"High intensity ultrasound-assisted reduction of sterically demanding nitroaromatics"

Arbez-Gindre C, Steele B.R, Heropoulos G.A, Screttas C.G, Communal J-E, Blau W.J and Ledoux-Rak I.
J. Organomet. Chem. 2005, 620, 1620-1626
"A facile organolithium route to ferrocene-based triarylmethyl dyes with substantial near IR and NLO properties"

Mastronicolis S.K, Arvanitis N, Karaliota A, Litos C, Stavroulakis G, Moustaka H, Tsakirakis A and Heropoulos G.A.
Food Microbiol. 2005, 22 (2-3), 213-219 ,
"Cold dependence of fatty acid profile of different lipid structures of Listeria monocytogenes"

Screttas C.G, Heropoulos G.A, Micha-Screttas M, Steele B.R.
Tetrahedron Lett. 2005, 46, DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.04.080.
"Medium dependent lithiated side products in the reductive lithiation of allylic phenylthioethers. Diethyl ether versus tetrahydrofuran"

Mastronicolis S.K, Boura A, Karaliota A, Magiatis P, Arvanitis N, Litos C, Tsakirakis A, Paraskevas P, Moustaka H, and Heropoulos G.A
Food Microbiol. 2005, in press
"Effect of cold temperature on the composition of different lipid classes of the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes: Focus on neutral lipids"