The research of Prof Orru focuses on fundamental Organic Chemistry using molecules and materials that Nature provides. His group delivered in the past 20 years clean, atom-and step-efficient one-pot syntheses for sustainable production of molecular diverse and structurally complex organic molecules tailored towards higher added-value in materials, medicines and catalysts. Nature has evolved its synthetic tools over billions of years with high levels of efficiency and elegance. Orru’s research is inspired by Nature’s approach but takes a next step finding efficient synthetic methodologies and strategies that out-perform processes in biology while taking advantage from the broad range of functionalities available in bio-based building blocks. Main topics include Cascade Syntheses, Sustainable Catalysis, Multicomponent Reactions, Heterocycles and Advanced Functional Materials.

Currently elaborated research lines are

1. One-pot cascade syntheses based on state-of-the art multicomponent reaction chemistry using bio-based building blocks as feedstock to access high-added value APIs and advanced functional materials.
2. Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselective reactions using sustainable resource efficient base or transition metal-, organo- and bio-catalytic systems.
3. Bio-based isocyanides as versatile C1-building building blocks in cross-coupling chemistry towards valued heterocyclic compounds.
4. Biomimetic templated N-to-C synthesis of peptides and proteins.