Source: , an analogue of the natural antibiotic
gramicidin S The areas of scientific interests of Igor V. Komarov are
medicinal chemistry and
synthesis of model compounds, which can be used to obtain new knowledge in
biochemistry,
stereochemistry,
theoretical chemistry,
catalysis. Igor has over 125
peer reviewed
research papers,
h-index 31, has guided 8
PhD students to date. Igor's scientific group puts the main focus on developing of novel synthetic methods and design of theoretically interesting molecules, part of which were created and synthesized in tight collaboration with Prof. Anthony J. Kirby from
the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom). One of such collaborative projects was synthesis, study of stereochemistry and
chemical properties of 1-aza-2-adamantanone and its derivatives. A trimethyl-substituted derivative ("the most twisted amide", "Kirby's amide") was designed in the Prof. Kirby's laboratory and synthesized by Igor in 1997 during his postdoctoral stay in Cambridge. In 2014, a
parent molecule was made in Igor's group in collaboration with Prof. Kirby. The compound modelled the transition state of
cis-
trans isomerization of
amides and allowed obtaining fundamental
knowledge about the
amide bond. Igor V. Komarov started his
research in the area of
synthetic organic chemistry at the beginning of 1990th, working on
phosphorylation of
aromatic heterocyclic compounds by
phosphorus(V) acid halides. At that time, convenient phosphorylation methods were developed, which now find use, for example, for synthesis of
materials applicable for
uranium extraction. Later, working in Rostock, Igor V. Komarov changed the direction of his research and got interested in
homogenous asymmetric catalysis. The study of catalysis was carried out using model compounds: functionalized
camphor- and
tartaric acid-derived
chiral ligands were synthesized such as
monophosphines,
diphosphines, and then
Rhodium(I)
complexes with them. some of them bearing a camphor-derived ligand ROCKYPhos (named after the cities
ROstock and
KYiv). Although Igor's interest to the synthesis of chiral ligands has not been faded, he changed the general direction of his research once more, and now he works in the area of
drug design. Prof. Komarov's research group developed many approaches to synthesis of conformationally restricted
amines and
amino acids - the
building blocks for drug design. Numerous conformationally restricted
fluorine-containing amino acids were also designed and synthesized, with a purpose of using them as labels to study
peptides in
lipid bilayers by
solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Igor V. Komarov's group made a contribution to design and synthesis of light-controllable biologically active compounds -
photocontrollable peptides - potential candidates for
photopharmacology drugs. Photopharmacology drugs can be
administered in the inactive,
non-toxic form, and then activated ("switched on") by
light only when and where required to treat localized
lesions (e.g.in
solid tumors). The activation by light can be done with very high spatiotemporal precision in the lesion site, leaving the rest of the
patient body unaffected. After the treatment, the photopharmacology drugs can be inactivated ("switched off") by light in order to diminish
side effects and
environmental burden.
Enumeration of molecules (exhaustive generation of all theoretically possible structures) was carried out for some classes of organic compounds, for example, for conformationally restricted
diamines. In the area of
nanotechnology, Igor V. Komarov's research group studied
cell-penetrating peptides as carriers for carbon-based
fluorescent nanoparticles, shuttling them inside
eukaryotic cells with the purpose of
bioimaging. Igor V. Komarov has a Ukrainian patent, 2 international patents, is a co-author of
text-books on NMR spectroscopy. == Scientific projects ==