Department of Organic and Nuclear Chemistry

Faculty of Science

Charles University

Contact address

Hlavova 8 

128 43  Praha 2

Czech Republic

Phone: +420 221 951 334 

Fax:     +420 221 951 326   

E-mail: kotora@natur.cuni.cz

Welcome to WEB-pages of Martin Kotora and his group.

Phenomenon of catalysis was described for the first time by Berzelius, who wrote:

" ...This new power, hitherto unknown is common both organic and inorganic nature ... I shall ...call it catalytic power."

 Berzelius Edin. New. Phil. Jrnl. XXI, 223.

Today catalysis, especially the one using transition metal compounds, arms chemists with a unique tool that allows to bring about complex transformations of molecules under mild reaction conditions.  These fascinating opportunities provide major impetus for our interests in exploratory research in catalysis and its application in organic synthesis.  

Our main research interests are directed toward

i)  development of new transition metal-catalyzed reactions,

ii) application of transition- and main-group metal based methodology in organic synthesis (synthesis of substances of potential  medicinal interest such virostatics, steroids, cytostatics, etc.

iii) synthesis of new organocatalysts and their application in enantioselective synthesis,

iv) Dewar benzene and ferrocene chemistry.

(A part of our group is located at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, v.v.i.,  Academy of Science of the Czech Republic.)