Physical and Synthetic Organic Chemistry

• Theoretical and experimental grounds of organic chemistry, including investigations of structures and reactivities of organic molecules under conventional and extreme conditions, e.g. in solid state at high pressures under plastic flow conditions.
• Formal logical approaches to the design of organic molecules and the search of new organic reactions. Experimental development of new synthetic methods for major classes of organic compounds, search of new universal reagents and synthons.
• Targeted synthesis of low- and high-molecular organic compounds possessing designated properties for the needs of basic biology, medicine, agriculture, etc.
• Elaboration of scientific grounds for the nearest future technology development, particularly on the basis of the electrosynthesis and high-pressure synthesis.
• Development of the modern environment-safe processes optimized in respect to raw materials, equipment and the number of steps.
• Development of instrumental analytical methods for comprehensive studies of the structure and properties of organic compounds and mixtures, including the design and engineering of original dedicated devices.

Organic Chemistry of Natural Compounds

• Elucidation of structure and synthesis of complex natural compounds, as well as development of the related organochemical and physicochemical methods.
• Total synthesis of complex natural compounds and their analogs, fragments, biosynthetic precursors and practically useful derivatives;
• The search for correlations between the structure of natural compounds and their physicochemical and biological properties;
• The search for optimal ways of utilizing natural compounds in organic synthesis;
• The search for the new sources of raw materials for the identification of compounds with valuable technical or biological properties;
• The major classes of natural compounds being studied are proteins, carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing biopolymers, steroids, oxylipins and terpenoids.

Catalytic Organic Synthesis and Physicochemical Grounds of Catalysis

• New catalytic methods of organic synthesis in the field of conversion of aromatic, heterocyclic and polyfunctional compounds and paraffins, especially low-molecular ones;
• Synthesis on the basis of hydrogen and carbon oxides, asymmetric synthesis with the use of heterogeneous and homogenous catalytic systems;
• Formulation of the scientific grounds for preparing and modifying polyfunctional oxide, metal-supported and zeolite catalysts for one-step performance of complex catalytic processes, primarily of those that seem commercially profitable;
• Application of modern methodology to the analysis of the structure, electronic and acid-base properties of the catalyst surface. The methods include quantum chemical, kinetic and instrumental techniques, particularly, those of the surface physics;
• Study of the nature and reactivity of the surface particles aimed at the elucidation of the catalysis mechanism.

Computer Chemistry and IT

• Computer simulation of chemical micro- and macroprocesses;
• Computer-assisted structural prediction of new substances with predetermined properties;
• Investigation of the molecular structure-property relationships;
• Development of new methods for the interpretation of topological and geometrical properties of multi-elecron system wave functions;
• Development of modern communication technologies and the infrastructure of scientific communications.