Congratiulations to Christoph and Dhananjoy

Group Update

Almost a double-header! Dhananjoy and Christoph defended their theses, with great success. Thank you for your contributions an all the best to both of you!

January 2026

Ortho-Carborane Derived Halogen-Bonded Sandwich Complexes

New Publication

During our investigation on multidentate ortho-carborane-based halogen bond donors, we noticed that they form very interesting co-crystals with halides. Here is the full study - including a very rare sandwich complex with 6-fold coordinatiion! Thanks to Jas Ward and Kari Rissanen for the cooperation.

November 2025

New Group Member

Group Update

We welcome Lisa-Marie as a new PhD student. She will tackle some carborane-based halogen bond donors. All the best!

November 2025

'Anti-Electrostatic' (Inter-Anion) Chalcogen Bonding Interactions

New Publication

Just like halogen bonding, chalcogen bonding is not purely electrostatic - orbital interactions are also very important and may override the electrostatics. We recently published an illustrative example for this: inter-anion chalcogen bonding.

Nobember 2025

Prof. Wolfgang Kirmse died

Prof. Wolfgang Kirmse, former Chair of Organic Chemistry II at Ruhr-University Bochum, has died on October 3rd. He was known, inter alia, for many fundamental contribution to carbocation chemistry and was a very well-visible representative of our chemistry department for a long time. Rest in peace.

October 2025

Goodbye to Julian

Group Update

At the end of August, we said goodbye to Julian Wolf, former PhD student and postdoc. Thanks a lot for your contributions, particularly all the work to establish highly enantioselective XB catalysis, and all the best!

September 2025

New Group Members

Group Update

We welcome Katyayani and Jelke al new PhD students to our group - both will explore different aspects of halogen and chalcogen bonding organocatalysis. All the best!

August 2025

Halogen Bonding in Solution: Under Pressure

Halogen Bonding in Solution: Under Pressure

A paper with a Queen song title? Check! (Even though it was an easy one). We've investigated the high pressure behavior of halogen bonding and found some unexpected solvent dependence.

August 2025

Farewell to Saber

Group Update

Last monday, we bid farewell to Saber Mehrparvar now that his two-year postdoc stay came to an end. He tackled a difficult project, under high pressure, which will hopefully be published soon. Saber, it was a GREAT pleasure having you around, all the best for your future!

July 2025

Highly Enantioselective Organocatalysis with Bidentate Halogen Bond Donors

New Publication

In a model Mukaiyama aldol reaction with unbiased substrates, high enantioselectivity was achieved with a modifiable bidentate iodine(I)-based halogen bonding organocatalyst. The crucial role of halogen bonding was confirmed by the low performance of the corresponding hydrogen bond donor and via DFT calculations.

May 2025

Congratiulations to Julian

Group Update

Julian Wolf brilliantly defended his thesis, congrats! Thanks to Raphael Stoll, for chairing and to Gerald Dyker, Nils Metzler-Nolte for co-reviewing.

March 2025

Asymmetric Counteranion-Directed Halogen Bonding Catalysis

New Publication

The combined power of halogen bonding and asymmetric counteranion-directed catalysis. Thanks to Christian Merten for strcture elucidation and to the List group for this beautiful cooperation! A perfect RESOLV project!

March 2025

Ortho-Carborane-Derived Halogen Bonding Organocatalysts

New Publication

So far, strong neutral halogen bond donors were often based on fluoroarenes. Here, we present ortho-barborane-based systems that clearly outcompete them. Thanks to Jas Ward and Kari Rissanen for the X-ray analysis and to Sandro Keller for assistence with ITC.

February 2025

Goodbye to Dominik

Group Update

We had to say goodbye to Dominik. Thanks a lot for your contributions and all the best! His key finding... is hopefully published soon ;)

October 2024

Dimethylene-Cyclopropanide Units as Building Blocks for Fluorescence Dyes

New Publication

We introduce iodoloisoxazolium salts as iodine(III)-based halogen bond donors and evaluate their potential as organocatalysts.

September 2024

Dimethylene-Cyclopropanide Units as Building Blocks for Fluorescence Dyes

New Publication

We continue our exploration of (halogen/chalcogen-free...) bis(dicyanomethid)cyclopropenium units, now in cooperation with @EiglerLab. Turns out, they not only stabilize radicals, the also form fluorescence dyes!

July 2024

Halogen, Chalcogen, Pnictogen, and Tetrel Bonding in Non-Covalent Organocatalysis: An Update

New Publication

Do you feel like you've missed the latest developments in organocatalysis with halogen, chalcogen, pnictogen and tetrel bonding? We got you covered (essentially an update to our 2019 review in ACS Catalysis)

May 2024