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Our research activities revolve around the use of intermolecular interactions in the molecular design of chemosensors, catalysts and pharmaceutically active compounds. Design, synthesis and determination of properties are the typical elements of all projects. We currently focus on the following challenges:
- Molecular Recognition
- Chemical Photocatalysis
- Substainable Chemistry
- Medical Chemistry
Main Research Areas
Publications
Publications
- Jiang, Xia-Min, König, Burkhard and Tian, Ya-Ming (2026) Aqueous-phase organic photochemistry: Distinct modes and interfaces.
Chem: 12 (5), P. 102962.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2026.102962 - Saha, Nayan, Chandran, Shana and König, Burkhard (2026) A generalized electrochemical dehydrogenation approach en route to α-phosphorylated amines.
Organic Chemistry Frontiers
https://dx.doi.org/10.1039/D6QO00588H - Düker, Jonas, Hebing, Lukas, Leweke, Samuel, Nicholls, Rachel L., Lübbesmeyer, Maximilian, Volpin, Giulio, König, Burkhard and Hillenbrand, Julius (2026) Data Science-Assisted Workflow for Reaction Optimization in Process Chemistry.
Organic Process Research & Development: 30 (1), P. 175-188.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.oprd.5c00384 - Taskinen, Elina K. and König, Burkhard (2026-08) Counterion Effects on the Properties and Reactivity of Charged Photoredox Catalysts.
ChemPhotoChem: 10 (8), P. e70229.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cptc.70229 - El Ain, María A., Segura, Tomás, Fornasier, Santiago José, Argüello, Juan E., König, Burkhard, Heredia, Adrián A. and Budén, María E. (2026) Riboflavin Photocatalyzed Synthesis of 1,2-diarylbenzimidazoles From N,N’-diarylbenzimidamides.
ChemCatChem: 18 (15), P. e70964.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cctc.70964 - Das, Kousik, Chakraborty, Sayonika, Paenurk, Eno and König, Burkhard (2026-08-12) Reactivity of Nitroarenes toward Alkyl Radicals Enables Direct C–H Alkylation.
Journal of the American Chemical Society: 148 (31), P. 33683-33697.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6c10599 - Watanabe, Taito, Masaoka, Shigeyuki, König, Burkhard and Ghosh, Indrajit (2026) Photocatalytic halogen atom transfer enables general dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes with organic halides and CO2.
Communications Chemistry
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42004-026-02112-5 - Wang, Zheng, Qiu, Xiaodong and König, Burkhard (2026) Electron-Donor–Acceptor Enabled Electrophilic C(sp2)-C(sp3) Cross-Coupling.
JACS Au
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.6c01012 - Ghosh, Tapas, Ahamed, SkShamim, Tastekin, Sena and König, Burkhard (2026) Cobalt in the Spotlight: Advances in Photocatalytic Cross-Coupling Reactions.
ChemPhotoChem: 10 (8), P. e70243.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cptc.70243 - Saha, Nayan, Kancherla, Rajesh, Escorihuela, Jorge, Chandran, Shana, Bera, Mrinal K., Rueping, Magnus and König, Burkhard (2026) A de‐novo Approach Towards Divergent [3+2π/σ] Photocycloadditions of Nitrones via Assembly‐Controlled Kinetic Electron Transfer Gating.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, P. e2936884.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.2936884 - George, Vincent, Pattanaik, Aryaman, Maddox, Daniel, Sigmund, Lukas M., Mejia, Giovanna, Pahlén, Sara, Angerer, Simon O., Schmoll, Maria, Schneider, Lisa Marie, Selmi, Nidhal, Kabeshov, Mikhail, Bergonzini, Giulia, Rehbein, Julia and König, Burkhard (2026) Geminal Difunctionalization of Ketones via C─S Bond Insertion of Photogenerated Donor–Donor Diazo Compounds.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, P. e6162809.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.6162809 - Králová, Dana, Philipp, Maximilian, Schmalzbauer, Matthias, Reiter, Thilo, Schäfer, Bernd, Gschwind, Ruth M. and König, Burkhard (2026) Photocatalytic Vanadium‐Mediated Amination of Benzene With Hydroxylamine.
Chemistry – A European Journal
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/chem.202503475 - Mandal, Tanumoy, Sharma, Rohan, Mendez-Vega, Enrique, Rehbein, Julia and König, Burkhard (2026) “On-water” photosensitization enables redox neutral acylation and alkylation of quinones.
Nature Communications: 17 (1813)
https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-69343-x - Gizatullin, Amir, Yuan, Tingting, Grotjahn, Sascha, Cavallo, Luigi, König, Burkhard, Zhu, Chen and Rueping, Magnus (2026) Predictive, Data-Driven Design of Red-Light Photoredox Catalysts for C─Heteroatom Bond Formation.
Angewandte Chemie
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202526086 - Rolka, Alessa B. and König, Burkhard (2025) Light-Controlled Organocatalysis by Bifunctional Single-Catalyst Systems.
: (33), P. 1263-1288. ISBN 9783527845552, 9783527353408.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9783527845552.ch33 - Taskinen, Elina K. and König, Burkhard (2025) Harnessing Photochemistry in Natural Product Synthesis: From Strategy to Applications.
Journal of Natural Products
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5c00874 - Vega, Kimberly Benedetti, Sánchez, Alejandro Heredero, Mandal, Tanumoy, Silva, Wagner, Gschwind, Ruth M., Neto, Attilio Chiavegatti, Barbosa Ferreira, Marco Antonio, König, Burkhard and Paixão, Márcio Weber (2025) Synthesis of α-Amino Acids by ConPET-Mediated CO2 Fixation into Amides.
ACS Catalysis, P. 18087-18096.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.5c04666 - Babawale, Florence, Nikitin, Maksim, Ghosh, Indrajit and König, Burkhard (2025) Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalytic C(sp2)-S Cross‐coupling of Bromoanilines Enabled by Mineral Acids.
Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, P. e026.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adsc.70026 - Ganie, Majid Ahmad, Roy, Niladri Sekhar, Raza, Arslan, König, Burkhard and Sarkar, Debayan (2025) Flavin-Photocatalyzed Benzylic Functionalization, Spirocyclization, and Spiroepoxidation of Phenols.
ACS Publications: 15 (20), P. 17078-17088.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.5c05312?ref=pdf - Babawale, Florence, Ghosh, Indrajit and König, Burkhard (2025) Photo-Catalyzed Synthesis of Indanones from Aromatic Aldehydes and Terminal Alkynes.
The Journal of Organic Chemistry: 90 (39), P. 13885-13890.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.5c01749 - Weitzel, Naomi, Tsutskiridze, Armaz, Bramowski, Julia, König, Burkhard and Hirsch, Thomas (2025) Fully Sensitized Upconversion Nanoparticles as Efficient Catalysts for NIR‐Driven UV Photochemistry.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202511247 - Marcon, Michela, Haag, Christoph and König, Burkhard (2025) Photoswitches beyond azobenzene: a beginner’s guide.
Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry: 21, P. 1808-1853.
https://dx.doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.21.143 - Das, Kousik, Saha, Nayan, Li, Zhuofan, Ghosh, Indrajit and König, Burkhard (2025) Generalizing Vinyl Halide Cross‐Coupling Reactions with Photoredox and Photoredox/Nickel Dual Catalysis.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, P. e202510715.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202510715 - Hiefinger, Caroline, Marcon, Michela, Pape, Verena, Casadevall, Guillem, Lahmy, Ranit, Haag, Christoph, Nazet, Julian, Bartl, Michael, Bruckmann, Astrid, Osuna, Sílvia, König, Burkhard and Hupfeld, Andrea (2025) Expanding the Repertoire of Photoswitchable Unnatural Amino Acids for Enzyme Engineering.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition, P. e202508562.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.202508562 - Pointner, Ferdinand L., Poll, Jonas, Taskinen, Elina K., George, Vincent, Ruff, Tristan, Rott, Florian, Mayer, Gabriel, Gessner, Niklas, Kutta, Roger Jan, König, Burkhard, Nuernberger, Patrick, Ochsenfeld, Christian and de Vivie-Riedle, Regina (2025) Mechanistic Study of the Light-Initiated Generation of Free Diazoalkanes: Towards Photo-Orthogonal Synthesis.
ChemistryEurope: 3 (5), P. e202500133.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202500133