Department of Organic Chemistry
Ronny Neumann, Head
The areas of research in the Department of Organic Chemistry include synthetic and mechanistic organic and organometallic chemistry, novel reactions for organic synthesis, bond activation by metal complexes, polymeric reagents and catalysis. Bioorganic chemistry includes the studies of plant antiviral agents, the molecular mechanism of action of rhodopsin, artificial ion carriers and molecular sensors. Biological chemistry includes studies on structure,function, and mode of action of biologically active peptides and proteins; thermophilic enzymes; enzymes involved in DNA repair, DNA and RNA processing; studies of ordered, compact states of nucleic acids; and biomedical applications of EPR and NMR. Computational chemistry deals with the prediction of molecular properties by first principles (ab initio) and semiempirical quantum mechanical calculations.
Polyselenophenes: A Novel Type of Conducting Polymers
Study of Structure-Property-Reactivity Relations in Novel Organic Electronic Materials
Polysiloles and Silicon Containing Oligothiophenes
Applications of Computational Quantum Chemistry
Computational Quantum Chemistry
G. Martin, D. Milstein, M. van der Boom, R. Neumann, M. A. Iron
- High-accuracy ab initio thermochemistry: method development and applications.
- Development of novel, more universal, density functionals
- Application of density functional methods to organometallic systems, with special reference to homogenous catalysis.
- Ab initio prediction of rotation-vibration spectra beyond the harmonic approximation.
Organometallic chemistry and catalysis
- Bond activation by electron-rich transition metal complexes.
- Rational design of homogeneous catalysis and synthetic methodology based on transition metal complexes.
- Impact of molecular order on catalysis and reactivity.
- Generation and stabilization of elusive (potentially biologically active) molecules
Cellular organization of biomacromolecules
- High-resolution structural studies of ordered cellular biomacromolecules and chemical properties of ordered DNA phases and DNA-protein complexes.
- Packaging and ordered phases of DNA in living systems (viruses, bacteria, sperm cells).
- Effects of stress (starvation, drugs, cold-shock) on DNA and protein organization within cells.
Catalysis and oxidation - Green chemistry
- Catalytic oxidation, activation of molecular oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide and ozone - Green chemical transformations.
- Polyoxometalates as novel catalysts for oxidation reduction and acid catalyzed reactions.
- New organo-polyoxometalate materials.
Organic self-assembly: nanoreactors and nanocapsules
Solar fuels: photoinduced water splitting for hydrogen production
Artificial photosynthesis: light-harvesting materials for solar energy conversion
Supramolecular chemistry
- Biomimetic ion binders, diagnostic tools in imaging technologies (fluorescent probes) and potential therapeutic agents. Synthesis, using classical and combinatorial chemistry methods and evaluation.
- Synthesis and properties of molecular based devices; molecular sensors, switches and logical gates for application in nanotechnology.
- Surface bound functional assemblies.
Molecular mechanism for the function of retinal proteins
- Spectroscopic properties of retinal proteins.
- Molecular mechanism for visual pigments photochemistry.
- Protein-chromophore interactions in bacteriorhodopsin.
Design, synthesis, and characterization of chromophores and metal complexes for the generation of new molecule-based photonic materials
Understanding and control over molecular orientation, interactions and properties in functional thin films
Mono- and multilayer based memory and sensor elements
Halogen bonded thin film assemblies