Department of Chemistry and Materials Science

Experimental and Theoretical Organic Synthesis

Experimental and theoretical organic synthesis (ETOS) group works on natural product total synthesis, method development and physical organic chemistry. We are a young research group led by Prof. Juha Siitonen focusing on solving key issues in synthetic strategy design, method development and reaction mechanisms by combining synthesis with physical chemistry.
Vial being filled with ethanol

External website

For more on our research please head to our external website www.etosgroup.fi!

Teaching

The group offers cutting-edge education in organic chemistry. We are applying the latest tools in modern inclusive pedagogy and research-based education strategies to provide our students with world-leading skills in both theoretical and practical organic chemistry.

Research

The ETOS group operates at the interface between experimental and theoretical organic synthesis. Our work is largely driven by inspiration drawn from polycylic  natural products, which are used as platforms for synthetic strategy design, development of new synthetic methods, and the study of mechanistically intriguing processes.

We also support the Department of Chemistry and Materials Science by providing in-house synthesis services for making non-commercially available custom molecules.

Our main research question is: What are the most efficient ways to put together structurally complex organic molecules?

 

Total Synthesis

  • Polycyclic alkaloids
  • Racemic natural products
  • Lignans
  • Custom target molecule synthesis to support other research groups at CMAT

Method Development

  • Photochemical reactions
  • Domino reactions

Physical Organic Chemistry

  • Conformer analysis
  • Localized molecular orbitals

Software development

  • Dynamic NMR simulation
  • Conformer space analysis

Group members

Rajanish Pallerla

Postdoctoral researcher

Challenges in aptamer-based sensor development using carbon nanotube networks

Laura Ferrer Pascual, Eero Gustafsson, Juha Siitonen, Vasuki Durairaj, Tomi Laurila 2024 Sensors & diagnostics

Catalyst-free transfer hydrogenation of activated alkenes exploiting isopropanol as the sole and traceless reductant

Tamal Kanti Das, Agustin M. Rodriguez Treviño, Sanjay Pandiri, Sini Irvankoski, Juha H. Siitonen, Sara M. Rodriguez, Muhammed Yousufuddin, László Kürti 2023 Green Chemistry

Aza-Quasi-Favorskii Reaction: Construction of Highly Substituted Aziridines through a Concerted Multibond Rearrangement Process

Padmanabha V. Kattamuri, Jidong Zhao, Tamal Kanti Das, Juha H. Siitonen, Nathan Morgan, Daniel H. Ess, László Kürti 2022 Journal of the American Chemical Society
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.
Research portal
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