Institute of Organic Chemistry – University of Cologne
The Institute combines classical synthetic chemistry, chemical biology, materials science, and photochemistry. Its research focuses on functional molecules – ranging from artificial nucleic acids and supramolecular systems to innovative materials for energy, photonics, and spintronics.
Research areas of the working groups include:
Kath-Schorr Nucleic acid chemistry and chemical biology
Dumele Functional organic materials
Goldfuss Reactivity and selectivity of organocatalytic and organometallic systems
Griesbeck Light-driven synthesis of bioactive compounds
Ravat Functional chiral nanostructures for chiral (opto)electronics
Specialized service units within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry support both research and teaching:
- Mass spectrometry (Matthias Schäfer)
- NMR spectroscopy (Daniel Friedrich)
- X-ray crystallography (Jörg Neudörfl)
The research activities of Ralf Giernoth (switchable molecules, bioorganic chemistry) and Dirk Blunk (synthesis of innovative materials) further broaden the thematic scope of the Institute in modern molecular and materials science.
The Institute maintains close collaborations with graduate schools such as RTG RELOC , RTG TIDE , EU MSCA Doctoral Network MeChaNiSM , and SusChemSys , as well as numerous partners in industry and international collaborations.