Georgios Vassilikogiannakis

Georgios Vassilikogiannakis is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Crete, Greece, where he leads innovative research in sustainable organic synthesis. His work focuses on harnessing singlet oxygen chemistry and photochemical methods to develop environmentally benign synthetic routes for complex molecules.

Education:

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Crete (1998)

Professor Vassilikogiannakis' research centers on total synthesis of bioactive natural products and the sustainable application of singlet oxygen. His group pioneers continuous flow reactor systems for gas-liquid photochemical reactions, significantly advancing green synthesis principles. Current work integrates photocatalysis, organocatalysis, and singlet oxygen chemistry to construct high-value alkaloid and heterocyclic frameworks with exceptional atom economy.

His publication record demonstrates a clear evolution toward multiphotocatalyst cascades and sustainable methodologies, particularly in furan photooxygenation for alkaloid synthesis. Recent work emphasizes sp³-rich scaffold construction and bioconjugation techniques, maintaining strong focus on step-economy and environmental impact reduction.

Scientific Awards:

• ERC Consolidator Grant

Professor Vassilikogiannakis directs an active research group funded by the European Research Council, mentoring graduate students in advanced synthetic techniques. His laboratory develops novel continuous flow photoreactors and sustainable oxidation methodologies, with applications spanning medicinal chemistry and natural product synthesis.

The Vassilikogiannakis Group operates from state-of-the-art laboratories at the University of Crete's Vasilika Vouton campus, specializing in photochemical reaction engineering and cascade sequence design for complex molecule synthesis.