The major theme of research in the group of Prof. Petri Pihko is to establish novel and efficient strategies for chemical synthesis with the help of catalytic transformations, especially organocatalysis, enzymatic catalysis, and oxidative catalysis. We are developing ready-to-use catalytic tools for synthesis as well as applying them to construct biologically and structurally interesting natural products and industrially relevant targets. We pay special attention not only to the generality and wide scope of the transformations, but also to understanding the underlying mechanistic and structural basis of the methodology.
Methods developed in chemical synthesis need to be constantly validated and calibrated in challenging settings. The challenging, exquisite architectures of natural products provide us with constant benchmarks to gauge the applicability and efficacy of the current methods, and they inspire us to find more efficient and more creative solutions to problems in synthetic methods.
We have several ongoing total synthesis programs, some of which are shown below.
We are working towards catalysts modulated by small anions. An example of these catalysts is shown below (see J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84, 15009-15019, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 8495).
We study cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reactions enabling the rapid construction of highly complex molecular scaffolds. For an example, see J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 6453. New reactions based on the CDC blueprint are explored in the Research Council of Finland-funded project INBAT (with Dr. Anton Nechaev).
We collaborate with several groups within JYU and also internationally. Our collaborators include Dr. Imre Pápai (Hungarian Academy of Sciences - computational chemistry), Prof. Kari Laasonen (computational chemistry and AI), Prof. Rikkert Wierenga (University of Oulu - structural enzymology and use of enzymes in synthesis), Prof. Kari Rissanen (University of Jyväskylä - structural characterization and X-ray crystallography), Prof. Karoliina Honkala (University of Jyväskylä - computational heterogeneous catalysis), Prof. Kaisa Helttunen and Prof. Gerrit Groenhof (anion-modulated catalysis). In the development of next-generation flow batteries and electrochemistry, we collaborate with the group of Prof. Pekka Peljo (University of Turku) and Prof. Kevin Lam (University of Greenwich, UK)
10.11.2025 We are hiring! Two new positions are available in the EXATH project, which merges molecular and catalyst design with electrochemistry! If you are interested in obtaining a PhD in the area, click here. Postdoctoral researchers can click here. Apply by 07 December 2025!
12.06.2025 Our EXATH project has received funding for four years from the Research Council of Finland!
13.1.2025 Welcome Sanna, working towards her Ph.D. in the group in the Doctoral Education Pilot under the CIMANET network!
19.7.2024 Congrats to Veera for her first publication on the catalysis of the venerable Claisen rearrangement!
10.7.2024 Congrats to Maxime (+ Prachi and Anton) on AZON3, now in Advanced Energy Materials!
10.4.2024 Our strategic paper on the synthesis of the core of humilisin E has been accepted for publication in JOC! Congratulations Prachi, Rajanish and Aino!
2.3.2024 Congratulations to Anton for his metal-free silylation, now in Organic Letters!
If you are interested in joining the group as a postdoctoral researcher or as an exchange student, please contact Prof. Pihko directly (Petri.Pihko[at]jyu.fi).
Our FlowXAI project has received funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU instrument and is funded by the Academy of Finland under grant number #348328.
