Prof DL Riley

Telephone:         +27 (0)12-420-3097

Email:                  [email protected]

Office:                  NS1, Room 4-63

Position:             Associate Professor

Academic qualifications:      PhD (Wits)

NRF Rating:      C2

Teaching

I am involved in teaching organic chemistry at an undergraduate and postgraduate. Topics covered in my classes include disconnection theory, carbonyl chemistry, aromatic chemistry, pericyclic chemistry and general organic chemistry.

Modules: CHM 215, CMY 384, CMY 708, CMY 709

Research interests

My research interests include the application and utilisation of flow chemistry and other advance manufacturing technologies in the fields of process chemistry and drug discovery. My research team develops novel flow syntheses of pharmaceuticals, investigates aspects of reaction engineering, and develops new flow-based chemical reactors with an overarching goal of developing more economical, greener and safer processes for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. In addition, we also look at the application of flow technology to expedite drug discovery with a focus on the development of neuroprotective and anti-Alzheimer’s agents.

Please visit our Flow Chemistry research group website.

Recent Publications

View all publications here: Google Scholar D Riley

Journal articles (2016-2021)

Application of reactor engineering concepts in continuous flow chemistry: a review, Nicole C. Neyt and Darren L. Riley, Reaction Chemistry and Engineering, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D1RE00004G

Improved batch and flow syntheses of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib, Chantal Scholtz and Darren L. Riley, Reaction Chemistry and Engineering, 2021, 6, 138-146

A concise, rapid and high yielding flow synthesis of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates. Chantal Scholtz and Darren L. Riley, Arkivoc, 2020, v, 119-128

Binding pose analysis of hydroxyethylamine based β-secretase inhibitors and application thereof to the design and synthesis of novel indeno[1,2-b]indole based inhibitors, C. Johan van der Westhuizen, Divan G. van Greunen, Werner Cordier, Margo Nell, Vanessa Steenkamp, André Stander, Jenny-Lee Panayides and Darren L. Riley, Arkivoc, 2020, v, 84-107

Landscape and opportunities for active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing in developing African economies, D.L. Riley, I. Strydom, R. Chikwamba and J.-L. Panayides, Reaction Chemistry and Engineering 2019, 4, 457-489

Immobilized tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions under flow conditions, G.V. Ramaotsoa, I. Strydom, J.-L. Panayides, D.L. Riley Reaction Chemistry and Engineering 2019, 4, 372-382

Mild and selective reductions of aldehydes utilising sodium dithionite under flow conditions. N.C. Neyt, D.L. Riley Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2018, 14, 1529-1536
DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.129

Approaches for performing reductions under continuous flow conditions. D. L. Riley, N.C. Neyt. Synthesis, 2018, 50 (14), 2707-2720
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1610153

Batch-flow hybrid synthesis of the anti-psychotic clozapine. N.C. Neyt, D. L. Riley. Reaction Chemistry and Engineering, 2018, 3, 17-24.
DOI: 10.1039/C7RE00146K

Targeting Alzheimer’s disease by investigating previously unexplored chemical space surrounding the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil. D.G. van Greunen, W. Cordier, M. Nell, C. van der Westhuyzen, V. Steenkamp, J. Panayides, D.L. Riley. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2017, 127, 671-690.

New syntheses of (±)-tashiromine and (±)-epitashiromine via enaminone intermediates, Riley, D. L.; Michael, J. P.; de Koning, C. B. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry 2016, 12, 2609–2613.

Design and synthesis of ring C opened analogues of α-santonin as potential anticancer agents J. Khazir, B.A. Mir, L.A. Pilcher, D.L. Riley, G. Chashoo, A. Islam, A.K. Saxena, H.M.S. Kumar,  Medicinal Chemistry Research, 2016, 25: 2030-2041.

An improved process for the preparation of tenofovir diisoproxil fumarate,D.L. Riley, D.R. Walwyn, C.D. Edlin, Organic Process Research and Development, 2016, 20, 742-750

Collaborations

My research group has active research collaborations with:

Dr Jenny-Lee Panayides – Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

Prof Mimi Hii, Prof Klaus Hellgardt and Dr Philip Miller – Imperial College London

Prof Ignacy Cukrowski – University of Pretoria, Department of Chemistry

Prof Vanessa Steenkamp – University of Pretoria, Department of Pharmacology

Dr Werner Cordier – University of Pretoria, Department of Pharmacology

Dr Andre Stander – University of Pretoria, Department of Physiology

Formulation Labs

Chemical Process Technologies.

Pelchem Pty (Ltd)

Postgraduate students

Divan van Greunen, MSc, 2016, Targeting Alzheimer's disease by investigating previously unexplored chemical space surrounding the cholinesterase inhibitor Donepezil

Carl Johan van der Westhuizen, MSc, 2017, Nucleophilic substitution reactions of α-haloketones : a computational study 

Nicole Candice Neyt, MSc 2017, Batch-Flow hybrid synthesis of the antipsychotic Clozapine

Bryan Bulling, MSc, 2018, Reaction mechanism of solvated n-BuLi with thiphene in THF: A theoretical and spectroscopic study

Chantal Scholtz, PhD, 2019, The automated flow synthesis of fluorine containing organic compounds

Divan van Greunen, PhD, 2019, The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel compounds against biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease

Sergio Lovisa, MSc, 2020, The in-silico evaluation and synthesis of silicon-based analogues of the cholinesterase inhibitor Donepezil

Lorinda Tarien van Wyk, MSc, 2020, Utilization of flow chemistry for the synthesis of bupropion, fluoxetine and amitraz

Gakanego Valerie Maswanganyi, PhD, 2020, The synthesis of immobilised reagents based on a polymerised triphenylphosphine scaffold for use in flow chemistry applications.  

Kgotso, Moagi, MSc, 2020, Reaction Mechanism of 2-monosubstituted Quinoxalines with Organolithium Compounds: A Theoretical Study

George Dhimba, PhD, 2020, A theoretical study of the mechanism of (S) proline-catalyzed aldol reactions

Carl Johan van der Westhuizen, PhD, 2020, Combining in silico and in vitro approaches to discover novel inhibitors of Acetylcholinesterase

Anshe Michelle Reinhardt, MSc, 2020, The synthesis of analogues and bioisosteres of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor donepezil in an attempt to identify novel anti-Alzheimer's agents

Lerato Dibokwane, MSc, 2021, Flow chemistry in application to the multi-step synthesis of donepezil and Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions

Nicole Candice Neyt, PhD, 2021, Engineering reaction chemistry with flow technology: A discussion on method development and multi-step organic synthesis.