Department of Organic Chemistry

Department was established on October 1, 1940.

About

The Department of Organic Chemistry was established on October 1, 1940 after reorganisation at the Department of General Chemistry at the Faculty of Technology. Antanas Purėnas was assigned as the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry (Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry from 1922 until 1962).
On July 19, 1956 the Department of Organic Chemistry was renamed the Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology because it not only provided studies in organic chemistry, but it also trained engineers in leather and fur technology, the chemical technology of fibre materials and man-made and synthetic fibre technology.
In 1962 associate professor Jonas Zdanavičius was employed to manage the department which he did until 1965.
On September 1, 1965 The Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology was divided into the Department of Organic Technology and the Department of Organic Chemistry. At that time Juozas Degutis (associate professor in 1965–1980) was the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry.
1980 professor Romualdas Baltrušis Purėnas was assigned as the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry (Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry from 1980 until 1990).
In 2001, professor Z. J. Beresnevičius was elected the Dean of the Department of Organic Chemistry And Dr. Vytautas Mickevičius took up the position of head of the department where he remained until 2011.
In 2011 prof. Vytas Martynaitis was assigned as the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry (Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry from 2011 until 2019).
Since 2019 the department is headed by assoc. Prof. dr. Eglė Arbačiauskienė.
In 2006 prof. Vytautas Getautis was awarded the Lithuanian Science Prize for research cycle “Organic Optoelectronics: New Organic Materials, Photoreceptors and Physical Phenomena (1980-2005)” (together with Edmundas Montrimas, Valentas Gaidelis, Vygintas Jankauskas and Donatas Jonas Sidaravičius)
In 2008 prof. Vytautas Getauitis (together with prof. habil. Dr. Juozas Vidas Grazulevičius) was awarded the World Intellectual Property (WIPO) Award for his work in the field of inventions.
In 2018 The team led by prof. Algirdas Šačkus (Vytas Martynaitis, Sonata Krikštolaitytė, Greta Ragaitė, Mikas Vengris) has received an international US, Japanese and Chinese patent for their invention – “New Photochromic Compounds and Intermediates to Get Them.” Prof. A. Šačkus was awarded for most innovative scientist at Kaunas University of Technology in 2018.

Studies

Study programs curated by the department:
Bachelor’s studies

Master’s studies

Research

Fields of science: N003 Chemistry, T005 Chemical Engineering.

Semiconductor synthesis and research

Research interests in this group include synthesis and investigation of semiconductors (for solar cells, LEDs, efficient field transistors) and colourants. The biggest focus is on organic semiconductors and organic colourants and pigments.

Synthesis and research into biologically active substances

Synthesis and studies of plant growth regulators and antimicrobial compounds. Petroleum Technology and Raw Materials Research. Development of alternative fuels from regenerative organic plastic technologies. Technological research of bioactive materials from biomass. Investigation of biofuel technologies.

Synthesis and research into new heterocyclic systems

Development of organic synthesis methodologies. Investigion and synthesis of biologically active substances. Design and synthesis of functional materials. Investigation of structure of organic compounds.

Researchers: dr. V. Getautis, dr. V. Martynaitis, habil. dr. V. Mickevičius, habil. dr. Al. Šačkus, dr. M. Daškevičienė, dr. T. Malinauskas, dr. I. Jonuškienė, dr. K. Kantminienė, dr. V. Kederienė, dr. S. Krištolaitytė, dr. L. Miknius, dr. K. Radzevičius, dr. B. Sapijanskaitė, dr. J. Solovjova, dr. K. Anusevičius, dr. E. Arbačiauskienė, dr. J. Ardaravičienė, dr. B. Barvainienė, dr. G. Bubnienė, dr. S. Burinskas, dr. N. Kleizienė, dr. V. Malinauskienė, dr. G. Ragaitė, dr. R. Tamulienė, dr. D. Tomkutė-Lukšienė, dr. I. Tumosienė, dr. S. Urnikaitė, dr. R. Vaickelionienė, dr. A. Žukauskaitė, A. Bieliauskas, E. Kasparavičius, A. Magomedov, M. Steponaitis.