Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
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Alexander Davidovich Dilman, Deputy Director of the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has been awarded the 2025 RUDN University Prize for scientific achievements in chemistry, a prize of 2 million rubles. The award ceremony took place at a celebration in honor of RUDN University's 66th anniversary.
The competition was held for the second time. Its first winner was Cuban scientist Daniel García Rivera, whose research on the derivatization and conjugation of peptides and proteins helped develop important vaccines. This year, RUDN University received 27 applications from five countries: China, India, Russia, Oman, and Italy. Among the applications were works by two Corresponding Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The submitted applications were reviewed by members of the selection committee, who assessed the nominees' combined achievements, their publications, and their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Applicants were required to be under 55 years of age, not be RUDN University employees, and not have published jointly with RUDN University scientists within the past 10 years.
An invisible assistant in every tablet
Prize laureate Alexander Davidovich is a leading expert in organofluorine chemistry and photocatalysis. His research focuses on developing new methods for the selective introduction of fluorine atoms, difluoromethylene fragments, and trifluoromethyl groups into organic molecules.
Fluorine is a small but extremely powerful element. Its addition to the structure of a medicinal molecule can dramatically alter its properties: making the drug more stable, slowing its breakdown in the body, or enhancing its effect on disease. However, inserting a fluorine atom precisely into the right place in a complex organic molecule is akin to performing a delicate operation.
The scientist and his team are creating universal "tools" and "building blocks" for pharmaceutical companies. These methods enable the construction of new substances that could lead to the development of more effective and safer drugs in the future, for example, for cancer or neurodegenerative diseases.
Sunlight as a pure reaction "engine"
Alexander Davidovich also discovered a number of new reactions, such as the interaction of difluorocarbene with organozinc derivatives and a method for thiylating inactivated carbon-hydrogen bonds using thiyl radicals. Furthermore, he developed new photocatalytic approaches for generating fluorinated radicals and activating relatively strong chemical bonds.
Photocatalysis is the use of ordinary visible light to initiate chemical reactions. In the presence of a special catalyst (a substance that accelerates the reaction), light becomes a powerful and environmentally friendly tool. It enables complex molecular transformations to be carried out more easily and cost-effectively than traditional methods.
The high international standing of Alexander Davidovich's work has been recognized with awards, including the Russian Academy of Sciences Medal for Young Scientists in 1999 and the prestigious Liebig Prize of the German Chemical Society in 2019. In 2025, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd Class.
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