About the Cocatalysis Research Group
Welcome to the forefront of transformative research in the realm of cocatalysis!
Our vision
Our research group is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of chemical reactivity, with a profound commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability. The central challenge we address is the development of environmentally benign methods for synthesizing complex compounds, particularly those that are chiral. Our focus is on leveraging asymmetric organocatalysis, a field that employs renewable and less toxic small organic molecules as catalysts, in lieu of traditional transition metals. Asymmetric organocatalysis and particularly cocatalysis, with its adherence to green chemistry principles, emerges as a beacon of future technology, promising advancements that prioritize safety, efficiency, and minimal environmental impact. In an era where the demand for new chemicals, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, is ever-growing, we strive to reduce waste, energy consumption, and environmental impact. By harnessing the synergistic effects of different catalytic systems, we want to develop innovative processes that meet societal needs and align with the goals of sustainable chemistry.
Our current project
The cocatalysis group was founded in 2024. Our first project aims to implement classical organocatalytic approaches with borane catalysis, thereby unlocking novel reactivity that can revolutionize the synthesis of chiral amino alcohols and diamines. These motifs are widely represented in the structure of bioactive molecules and hold immense potential for applications in pharmaceuticals and beyond. As direct access to these motifs in an enantioselective manner is rare, a strategy enabling their synthesis in an atom-efficient approach would be highly valuable to the chemical community.
For students!
Feel free to join us as we redefine the landscape of chemical synthesis, contributing to a sustainable future where scientific innovation and environmental consciousness go hand in hand.
Team
Position: Senior Researcher
Contact: [email protected]
Dr. Mikk Kaasik earned his bachelor's (2012) and master's (2015) degrees with cum laude in applied chemistry and biotechnology from Tallinn University of Technology. Joining Professor Tõnis Kanger's research group in 2010, he later completed his PhD in 2020, focusing on azolium-based halogen bond (XB) donors and novel bifunctional XB donors. Expanding his horizons internationally, Mikk pursued an Erasmus placement at KTH, Sweden, during his MSc studies. Further enriching his academic experience, he spent eight months as a visiting researcher at the University of Cologne (2018-2019), working with Dr. Martin Breugst. In 2021 he started as a postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University funded by a grant by the Estonian Research Council, under the supervision of Prof. Karl Anker Jørgensen. Mikk explored novel approaches to carry out asymmetric cocatalytic and organocatalytic cyclization reactions. In late 2023 he returned to TalTech with the aim of establishing his own independent research group funded by the Estonian Research Council.
Dr. Aleksandra Murre (researcher); [email protected]
Aleksandra began her studies at Tallinn University of Technology in 2013 at the bachelor's level and completed her master's degree in 2018, both with cum laude. During these years, she gained practical experience at Cambrex Tallinn OÜ. She continued her studies in the doctoral program within Professor Tõnis Kanger's research group. Throughout her doctoral studies, she explored various approaches to enhance the efficiency of [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement reactions, incorporating all three pillars of asymmetric chemistry into her research. She successfully defended her doctoral thesis in 2023 and subsequently joined the Cocatalysis Research Group in 2024. Throughout her academic journey, Aleksandra has been recognized with several awards and scholarships, including multiple scholarships from the TalTech Development and ERKF funds, Jaan Poska Scholarship, Rotalia foundation (USA) Scholarship etc.
Kirti (PhD student); [email protected]
Kirti began her academic journey at the University of Delhi, India, in 2018, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Life Science with first distinction. She continued her studies at the Central University of Punjab, India, where she completed a Master's degree in Applied Chemistry in 2023, graduating with a gold medal for securing the top rank in her cohort. During her master's studies, Kirti worked under the guidance of Dr. Biplab Banerjee in the Organic Synthesis and Catalysis laboratory. She developed expertise in synthetic methodologies for medicinally significant carbamoylated dihydroquinolinones and explored metal-free catalysis through tandem addition–cyclization reactions, with a strong emphasis on sustainable chemistry. She also gained experience in late-stage drug functionalization. After successfully completing her master's degree in 2023, Kirti joined the Cocatalysis Research Group under the supervision of Dr. Mikk Kaasik in 2024 to further advance her research career.
Rekha (PhD student); [email protected]
Rekha received her Master’s degree with a specialization in Organic Chemistry from Kurukshetra University, India, in 2020, followed by industrial experience in organic synthesis at PI Industries Ltd. In 2023, she joined the research group of Dr. Kishor Mohanan at CSIR–Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) as a Project Associate, where she worked on diazoacetonitrile chemistry and the synthesis of novel heterocycles with potential anti-parasitic activity. In 2025, she joined the Cocatalysis Research Group under the supervision of Dr. Mikk Kaasik to advance her research in catalysis and synthetic organic chemistry.
Devika Jayan (PhD student); [email protected]
Devika completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry (Honours) from the University of Delhi, India, in 2022, and went on to earn her master's degree in chemistry with a specialization in Organic Chemistry from the University of Delhi in 2024, graduating with first distinction in both degrees. Following her master’s degree, Devika undertook a three-month summer internship at CSIR–National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST), where she worked on the isolation of bioactive natural products and their photochemical derivatization. Subsequently, she joined the Drug Discovery and Development Laboratory in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Delhi under the supervision of Dr. Snigdha Singh. Her research involved the design and synthesis of succinimide-based derivatives for potential breast cancer therapy. In addition, she contributed to another project focused on the synthesis of biocompatible nanoparticles for biomedical applications. In 2026, she joined the Cocatalysis research group under the supervision of Dr. Mikk Kaasik as an MSCA CO-FUND INNOCHEMBIO programme student to further advance her research career.
Karina Zakrevskaja (master's student)
Uljana Malinova (bachelor's student)
Nikita Grebenev (bachelor's student)
Romain Bonhomme (visiting student)
BSc
Pille-Riin Varusk
Mattias Hännikäinen
Vising students
Ryan Malleret, France
Publications
Kaasik, M.; Kanger, T. Halogen‐Bonding Organocatalysis – New Opportunities for Asymmetric Synthesis. In: L. Albrecht, A. Albrecht, L. Dell'Amico (Ed.). Asymmetric Organocatalysis. New Strategies, Catalysts, and Oppurtunities. 2022, chapter 6, 203−224. Wiley VCH. https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527832217.ch6
- Murre, A.; Eugui, M.; Carvalho, C. S. A.; Jørgensen, K. A.; Kaasik, M. One-Pot Nucleophilic Organocatalytic Enantioselective [8 + 2] Cycloadditions of Photogenerated Ketenes with Triflate Tropolones. Organic Letters, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.6c01642
Published prior to establishing the cocatalysis group:
- Casper Larsen Barløse, C. L.; Faghtmann, J.; Kaasik, M.; Mastroddi, R.; Jørgensen, K. A. Exploring Heterotropones and Examining Their Propensity to Undergo [4 + 2] Cycloadditions. Organic Letters, 2024, 26(8), 1539–1543. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.3c04080
- Kaasik, M.; Chen, P.-P.; Ričko, S.; Jørgensen, K. A.; Houk, K. N. Asymmetric [4 + 2], [6 + 2], and [6 + 4] Cycloadditions of Isomeric Formyl Cycloheptatrienes Catalyzed by a Chiral Diamine Catalyst. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023, 145, 23874−23890. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c09551
- Ričko, S.; Bitsch, R. S.; Kaasik, M.; Otevřel, J.; Højgaard Madsen, M.; Keimer, A.; Jørgensen, K. A. Enantioconvergent 6π Electrocyclization Enabled by Photoredox Racemization. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2023, 145, 20913−20926. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.3c06227
- Kriis, K.; Martõnov, H.; Miller, A.; Erkman, K.; Järving, I.; Kaasik, M.; Kanger, T. Multifunctional Catalysts in the Asymmetric Mannich Reaction of Malononitrile with N-Phosphinoylimines: Coactivation by Halogen Bonding versus Hydrogen Bonding. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2022, 87 (11), 7422−7435. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.2c00674
- Kaasik, M.; Martõnova, J.; Erkman, K,: Metsala, A.; Järving, I.; Kanger, T. Enantioselective Michael addition to vinyl phosphonates via hydrogen bond-enhanced halogen bond catalysis. Chemical Science 2021, 12, 7561-7568. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1SC01029H
- Kaasik, M.; Kanger, T. Supramolecular Halogen Bonds in Asymmetric Catalysis. Frontiers in Chemistry 2020, 8, 599064. https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2020.599064
- Kaasik, M.; Metsala, A.; Kaabel, S.; Kriis, K.; Järving, I.; Kanger, T. Halo-1,2,3-triazolium Salts as Halogen Bond Donors for the Activation of Imines in Dihydropyridinone Synthesis. Journal of Organic Chemistry 2019, 84, 4294−4303. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.joc.9b00248
- Kaasik, M.; Kaabel, S.; Kriis, K.; Järving, I.; Kanger, T. Synthesis of Chiral Triazole-Based Halogen Bond Donors. Synthesis 2019, 51, 2128-2135. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0037-1610864
- Peterson, A.; Kaasik, M.; Metsala, A.; Järving, I.; Adamson, J.; Kanger, T. Tunable chiral triazole-based halogen bond donors: assessment of donor strength in solution with nitrogen-containing acceptors. RSC Advances 2019, 9, 11718−11721. https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA01692A
- Kaasik, M.; Kaabel, S.; Kriis, K.; Järving, I.; Aav, R.; Rissanen, K.; Kanger, T. Synthesis and Characterisation of Chiral Triazole-Based Halogen-Bond Donors: Halogen Bonds in the Solid State and in Solution. Chemistry - A European Journal 2017, 23, 7337−7344. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201700618
- Kaasik, M.; Noole, A.; Reitel, K.; Järving, I.; Kanger, T. Organocatalytic Conjugate Addition of Cyclopropylacetaldehyde Derivatives to Nitro Olefins: en Route to β- and γ-Amino Acids. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2015, 8, 1745−1753. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.201403387
Projects
- 101217295 "Innovative Chemistry and Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future (01.07.2025–30.06.2030)", PI: Mikk Kaasik, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
- TK228U1 "Centre of Excellence in Circular Economy for Strategic Mineral and Carbon Resources (01.01.2024–31.12.2030)", PI: Riina Aav, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
- PSG951 "Merging Organocatalysis with Borane Catalysis in Asymmetric Synthesis (01.01.2024–31.12.2028)", PI: Mikk Kaasik, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
- STP48 "A novel cocatalytic approach for asymmetric synthesis (01.12.2023–01.01.2024)", Mikk Kaasik, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
- PUTJD1021 "Expanding the borders of higher-order cycloadditions (01.05.2021–30.04.2023)", Mikk Kaasik, Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology
Open Positions
- Students who would like to realize themselves in the laboratory in the field of organic synthetic chemistry and explore various catalytic approaches, feel free to contact us.
News
Latest from the Cocatalysis corner
Here you’ll find an overview of what our team has been up to lately.
This time closer to home - in Riga, Latvia, with more of our team joining in.
Together at Tetrahedron Conference 2025, Brugge.
Our Group In and Out of Lab
Mikk enjoys playing board games, occasionally joined by Aleksandra. She really likes different types of handicraft. They both share the view that rock music is the ideal first choice.
