ABOUT US

We are a synthetic organic chemistry & catalysis group located in the heart of Switzerland at the University of Bern, in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The central research theme of the Katayev group is focused on the development of innovative, robust, and catalytic strategies mediated by light, electricity, and mechanical energy, to streamline functional group incorporation into organic molecules in chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective as well as in atom-economic fashion. Along these lines, we are profoundly involved in methodology development through the exploration of a chemical space of small functional radicals and functional ionic species, which we efficiently liberate from readily available and / or rationally designed organic & inorganic functional group transfer reagents.

A fundamental understanding of these catalytic radical- and ionic-driven processes to form novel chemical bonds plays a key role in molecular architecture. We are therefore also deeply engaged in detailed mechanistic studies using various physical-organic chemistry tools available in our laboratory and density functional analysis. If you are interested to explore de novo chemical transformations using sustainable energy sources, join our innovative and dynamic group. For more information regarding the current research projects, please find details here.