Dmitry Katayev

Prof. Dmitry Katayev serves as Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Organic Chemistry at the University of Bern's Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacy, where he leads an active research group focused on innovative catalytic methodologies. His work bridges fundamental mechanistic studies with practical applications in sustainable synthesis.

His educational trajectory includes:

• MSc in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (2008)
• PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva under EP Küng (2012)
• Postdoctoral research at Technical University Kaiserslauten with L. Goossen (2013-2015)
• Postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich with A. Togni (2015-2016)

Research efforts center on light- and electricity-driven C-H functionalization, with emphasis on developing photocatalytic, electrochemical, and mechanochemical strategies for forming C-C, C-N, and C-O bonds. The group pioneers bench-stable reagents for radical transformations while integrating physical organic chemistry and computational studies to elucidate reaction mechanisms. Key innovations include anti-Markovnikov hydronitration protocols and dual-functional group transfer reagents for sustainable synthesis.

Analysis of recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a dominant trend toward radical chemistry and green methodology development, featuring photoredox catalysis for fluorinated radical generation, iron-mediated ligand transfer, and mechanochemical nitration. These works consistently address scalability challenges through flow chemistry integration while expanding the toolbox for bioactive molecule synthesis.

His recognition includes:

• SNSF Ambizione Fellowship (2017-2020)
• SNSF Eccellenza Grant (2021-present)

Prof. Katayev mentors a multidisciplinary team of postdocs and graduate students, securing competitive funding for projects that bridge academic discovery and industrial application. His group actively collaborates on translating fundamental catalytic concepts into scalable fine chemical production processes.

The Katayev Lab operates specialized facilities for photoredox, electrochemical, and mechanochemical synthesis at the University of Bern, contributing to the department's prominence in sustainable chemistry. The group regularly participates in public outreach initiatives like the BioChemistry on Saturday lecture series, demonstrating commitment to science communication.