TSU First in the World to Modify Molecules Using Eninones

Conjugated eninones are relatively little-studied organic substances which, due to their high ability to undergo chemical transformations, are successfully used for the laboratory production of a whole range of various useful compounds. The use of silicon groups in the synthesis of complex molecules from such substances is an innovation of the scientific group of Alexander Golovanov, Doctor of Chemistry, acting head of the S.P. Korshunov Research Laboratory-13 Organic Synthesis and Analysis of the Research Institute of Advanced Technologies at TSU.

“Thanks to silicon, the created molecule can be modified, giving it a wide range of properties,” said the head of the Department of Chemical Technology and Resource Saving of the TSU Institute of Chemistry and Energy, Ph.D. in Chemistry, Sergey Sokov. According to him, scientists create silicon-containing molecules using directed organic synthesis:

“Silicon has an important feature: it is easy to remove from the molecule when it is no longer needed. We can put another fragment in its place, with the help of which the molecule can be refined, giving it properties useful, for example, for substances with anti-corrosion characteristics or for reagents for analytical chemistry. In the future, our development can also be used to create anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs.”

There are several centres for the chemical reaction in the molecules of conjugated eninones, and the properties of the final product and its application depend on the reaction pathway. Previously, it was difficult to predict the path of the reaction, but TSU scientists have learnt to control this process and studied some aspects of how exactly the reactions proceed. Now they can be run selectively, directing them along the right path. Thus, the process of synthesis of complex molecules will become even more efficient.

The scientists described the results of the work in an article that was published in the German international scientific journal Synthesis (Q1). It is devoted to the development of chemical synthesis and covers all areas of organic chemistry.

As Russian News Agency TASS writes, TSU chemists have been paying special attention to the synthesis of complex molecules based on conjugated eninones and to obtaining useful materials based on them since 2021, when the university received a grant from the Russian Science Foundation for more than 21 million rubles (22-13-00185). The funds enabled the development of methods for obtaining new substances and materials for supramolecular chemistry, in particular compounds with photophysical properties for electronics and medicine.