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Research focuses on healthcare and energy by characterizing the structural and electronic properties of (macro)molecules. Researchers apply and develop a wide range of theoretical methods: quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics, hybrid QM/MM methods, and statistical mechanics. Complementarily, UCPTS is developing expertise in structure determination and characterization of (macro)molecules using experimental physico-chemical methods (crystallography, calorimetric analyses, bio-spectroscopies). 

The Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory develops expertise in theoretical and quantum chemistry.Research focuses on the development and application of methods for evaluating and interpreting the properties responsible for optical and electrical phenomena in molecules, supramolecular assemblies, polymers and molecular crystals. A majority of these studies are integrated into multidisciplinary research projects aimed at designing new materials with outstanding properties.

Research at UCNANO focuses on energy storage, pollution control and health, developing sustainable and innovative solutions to society's current challenges. Research focuses on energy, the environment, the conversion of waste into high value-added products, green chemistry and health. UCNANO develops high-performance materials with low environmental impact that promote the circular economy and biomedical applications, in heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, nano- and bio-technologies, energy storage and conversion and cell therapy.

DrawMol is a powerful graphical interface for visualizing and building molecular structures.

The Applied Materials Chemistry (AMC) laboratory headed by Prof. Carmela Aprile specializes in materials synthesis and their catalytic applications, with a particular focus on sustainable processes. One of the group's strengths is also represented by advanced characterization techniques, in particular solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, which is being developed in close collaboration with Dr Luca Fusaro.

DrawSuite's various applications are designed to provide tools for analyzing molecular structures and properties. These applications are integrated with various quantum chemistry software packages, including GAMESS US and Gaussian. The results of these programs are then used to generate user-friendly scientific representations.

DrawVib is a powerful graphical interface for visualizing and analyzing vibrational spectra as well as atomic displacements of vibrational normal modes calculated by a quantum chemistry program.

DrawProfile is a powerful graphical interface for visualizing and analyzing the energy profile along an optimization, along a reaction coordinate, or along a distance, angle or dihedral angle PES scan.

DrawSpectrum is a powerful graphical interface for generating and plotting spectra.

Our research focuses on the design, synthesis, property studies and molecular engineering of nanostructures, highly organized and hierarchical self-assembled porous materials, bio-integrated and bio-inspired living materials, including sheet-like materials through immobilization of living organisms and biomaterials for catalysis, photocatalysis, CO2 conversion and water separation, energy storage and conversion, artificial photosynthesis, nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, cell therapy and biomedical applications.

Our Cover pages The ERC B-YOND project This project was funded by the European Research Council (ERC) as part of the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program (grant agreement no. 101044649). More info about the ERC B-YOND project Our publications Enhancing the Lewis Superacidity of Pyramidal Boranes With Boratriptycenes Containing Positively Charged Pyridinium Units. N. Niessen, L. Mineur, A. Chardon, A. Osi, A. I. Adjieufack, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, B. Champagne, G. Berionni, Chemistry Europe, 2025, submitted. [Download] - 64 Synthesis of Vinyl Boronates from Aldehydes and Ketones by Peterson Olefination: Investigation of the Peterson/Boron-Wittig Chemoselectivity. J. Janssens, G. Berionni, R. Robiette, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2025, e202500033. [Download] - 63 - (link for download: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.202500033)Atropisomerism in Triarylboranes: Lewis Base Assisted Rotation at C-B Stereogenic Axis in Asymmetrical Boron Lewis Acids. T.-H. Doan, A. Chardon, N. Vanthuyne, T. N. Ramos, N. Tumanov, L. Fusaro, M. Albalat, L. Collard, J. Wouters, B. Champagne, G. Berionni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202421931. [Download] - 62 - (link for download: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202421931 )Reactivity and Steric Parameters from 2D to 3D Bulky Pyridines: Increasing Steric Demand at Nitrogen with Chiral Azatriptycenes, A. BenSaida, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, B. Champagne, N. Vanthuyne, R. Robiette, G. Berionni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, 63, e202407503. [Download] - 61 - (link for download: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202407503)- Regulating iminophosphorane PN bond reactivity through geometric constraints with cage-shaped triarylphosphines. L. Hu, S. Chakraborty, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, R. Robiette, G. Berionni, Chem. Comm. 2024, 60, 7073. [Download] - 60 - (download link: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CC01868K)Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry: early concepts, scope, and recent developments with 9-phosphatriptycenes Damien M., Benoit C., Guillaume B., Chimie Nouvelle n°143, 2023, 15 - [Download] - 59Controlling precision on the ring: "Desired borylation of fluoroaromatic compounds is achieved with cobalt catalyst" Guillaume B., Science 382, 2023, 1122-1123 - [Download] - 58Association of Pyramidal Boron Lewis Superacids with Pyridines: Bending 2,4,6-Collidine with the 10-Sulfonium-9-boratriptycene Osi, A., Niessen, N., Mahaut, D., Champagne, B., Chardon, A., Tumanov, N., Wouters, J., Berionni, G., Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem. 2023, 649, e202300066. [Download] - 57A focus on anionic boron anthracenes and triptycenes as entry point toward B-doped polyaromatic materials and Lewis acids G. Berionni, Chem. Sci.,2023, 14, 5241-5242 - [Download] - 56From Proton to Boron: The Lewis Analogs of Protonated Brønsted Super Acids, Osi, A., Tumanov, N., Fusaro, L., Wouters, J., Berionni, G., Chardon, A., Chem. Eur. J. 2023, e202301146 - [Download] - 55 - Dedicated to Prof. Alain Krief for his 80th birthday.Regioselective Transition-Metal Free Arenes C-H Borylations: From Directing Groups to Borylation Template Reagents, G. Berionni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202210284. - [Download] - 54Reprogramming Main-Group Compounds: Toward New Superelectrophilic and Superacidic Catalysts, G. Berionni, Chimie Nouvelle, 2022, 139, 27-29. - DOI: 10.52809/cn2022.nxmn2068 - [download] - 53A Selenium Substituted Pyramidal 9-Boratriptycene Lewis Acid, A. Osi, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, A. Chardon, G. Berionni, Synthesis 2022, online - DOI: 10.1055/a-1840-5680 - [download] - 529-phosphatriptycene derivatives: from their weak basicity to their application in frustrated Lewis pair chemistry, D. Mahaut, G. Berionni, B. Champagne, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2022, 126, 18, 2794-2801 - [download] - 51 Frustrated Lewis pair-catalyzed hydrogenation of unactivated alkenes with sterically hindered 9-phosphatriptycenes, D. Mahaut, B. Champagne, G. Berionni, 2022, ChemCatChem 2022,14, e202200294. - [download] - 50Taming the Lewis Superacidity of Non-Planar Boranes: C-H Bond Activation and Non-Classical Binding Modes at Boron - A. Osi, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, L. Fusaro, J. Wouters, B. Champagne, A. Chardon, G. Berionni. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2022, 61, e202112342. - [download] - 49 Young Career Focus presents Guillaume Berionni, Synform, 2021, 159-161 - [download] - 48Future Prospects in Boron Chemistry: Boron Lewis Acids in Perspective - Chem. Syn. 2021, 1:10. - [download] - 47Rational Development of a Metal-Free Bifunctional System for the C-H Activation of Methane: A Density Functional Theory Investigation, D. Mahaut, A. Chardon, L. Mineur, G. Berionni, B. Champagne, ChemPhysChem 2021, 22, 1958-1966. - [download] - 46Six-membered Rings with One Phosphorus Atom, F. Rammal, V. Magné, G. Berionni, S. Lakhdar, Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry IV, Elsevier,2022, Volume 7, 685-717 (book chapter). - [download] - 45Four-membered Rings with One Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony, or Bismuth Atom - V. Magné, F. Rammal, G. Berionni, S. Lakhdar, Comprehensive Heterocyclic Chemistry IV, Elsevier, 2022, Volume 2, 335-362 (book chapter). - [download] - 44Sterically hindered ortho-substituted phosphatriptycenes as configurationally stable P-chirogenic triarylphosphines, L. Hu, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, L. Collard, R. Robiette, G. Berionni, Dalton Trans. 2021, 50, 4772-4777 - [download] - 43Triptycene Boronates, Boranes, and Boron Ate-Complexes: Toward Sterically Hindered Triarylboranes and Trifluoroborates, M. Gama, X. Antognini Silva, T-H. Doan, A. Osi, A. Chardon, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, G. Berionni, Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2021, 1440-1445 - [download] - 42Methylene Bridging Effect on the Structures, Lewis Acidities and Optical Properties of Semi Planar Triarylboranes, T.-H. Doan, A. Chardon, A. Osi, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, B. Champagne, G. Berionni, Chem. Eur. J.2021, 27, 1736-1743. - [download] - 41Non-planar Boron Lewis Acids Taking the Next Step: Development of Tunable Lewis Acids, Lewis Superacids and Bifunctional Catalysts, A. Chardon, A. Osi, D. Mahaut, A. Ben Saida, G Berionni, Synlett. 2020, 31, 1639-1648. - [download] - 40Controlled Generation of 9-Boratriptycene by Lewis Adduct Dissociation: Accessing a Unique Non-Planar Triarylborane, A. Chardon, A. Osi, D. Mahaut, T.-H. Doan, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, L. Fusaro, B. Champagne, G Berionni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 12402-12406. - [download] - 39Pushing the Lewis Acidity Boundaries of Boron Compounds With Non-Planar Triarylboranes Derived from Triptycenes, A. Ben Saida, A. Chardon, A. Osi, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, A. I. Adjieufack, B. Champagne, G. Berionni, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 16889-16893. - [download] - 38Complementary Synthetic Approaches toward 9-Phosphatriptycene and Structure-Reactivity Investigations of Its Association with Sterically Hindered Lewis Acids, L. Hu, D. Mahaut, N. Tumanov, J. Wouters, R. Robiette, G. Berionni, J. Org. Chem. 2019, 84, 11268-11274. - [download] - 37The Halogen-Samarium Exchange Reaction: Synthetic Applications and Kinetics, L. Anthore-Dalion, A. D. Benischke, B. Wei, G Berionni, P. Knochel, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 4046. - [download] - 36Opening Up New Research Lines in Lewis Acid/Base Catalysis, G. Berionni, L. Hu, A. Ben Saida, A. Chardon, M. Gama, A. Osi, D. Mahaut, X. Antognini Silva, Chimie Nouvelle, 2018, 128, 13. - [download] - 35Stereospecific Allylic Functionalization: The Reactions of Allylboronate Complexes with Electrophiles, A. D. Benischke, L. Anthore-Dalion, G. Berionni, P. Knochel, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 51, 16390-16394.[download] - 34Stereospecific Allylic Functionalization: The Reactions of Allylboronate Complexes with Electrophiles, C. García-Ruiz, J. L.-Y. Chen, C. Sandford, K. Feeney, G. Berionni, H. Mayr, V. K. Aggarwal, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2017, 139, 15324-15327.[download] - 33Mechanistic studies of formal thioboration reactions of alkynes, A. Issaian, D. J. Faizi, J. O. Bailey, P. Mayer, G. Berionni*, D. A. Singleton*, S. A. Blum*, J. Org. Chem. 2017, 82, 8165-8178. [download] - 32Barbier continuous flow preparation and reactions of carbamoyllithiums for nucleophilic amidation, M. A. Ganiek, M. R. Becker, G. Berionni, H. Zipse, P. Knochel*, Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 10280-10284. [download] - 31Nucleophilicities and Lewis basicities of sterically hindered pyridines, E. Follet, H. Zipse, S. Lakhdar, A. R. Ofial, G. Berionni*, Synthesis 2017, 49, 3495-3504. [special issue on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Professor Herbert Mayr] [download] - 30Superelectrophilicity in Michael-Type Reactions: Water Addition to 4-Nitrobenzodifuroxan, S. Lakhdar,* G. Berionni*, F. Terrier,* Synthesis 2017, 49, 3453-3459. [special issue on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Professor Herbert Mayr] [download] - 29Reactivity-tuning in frustrated Lewis pairs: nucleophilicities and lewis basicities of sterically hindered phosphines, E. Follet, P. Mayer, D. S. Stephenson, A. R. Ofial, G. Berionni*, Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 7422-7427. [download] - 28Structures, Lewis acidities, electrophilicities, and protecting group abilities of phenyl-fluorenylium and tritylium ions., E. Follet, P. Mayer, G. Berionni*, Chem. Eur. J. 2017, 23, 623-630. [download][Selected as hot paper] - 27Nucleophilicity of alkyl zirconocene and titanocene precatalysts and kinetics of activation by carbenium ions and by B(C6F5)3, G. Berionni*, H. Kurouchi, L. Eisenburger, H. Mayr, Chem. Eur. J.2016, 22, 11196-11200. [download] - 26Before 2015 - https://researchportal.unamur.be/fr/persons/gberionn/publications/ RCO in detail SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Homepage See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Our team See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Our equipment See content SVG .cls-1 { fill: #323232; stroke-width: 0px; } Join us See content

The CBO specializes in organic chemistry in general, and more particularly in glycosciences for the multi-step synthesis of organic molecules or molecular probes aimed at various applications (biochemistry, virology, bacteriology, medicinal chemistry, green chemistry and catalysis...).