Zoltán Benkő

Associate professor

Head of the Computational Main Group Chemistry Group

Deputy head of the Department

Education

PhD in chemistry, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 2009

Sciex postdoctoral fellow, ETH Zürich, 2011-14

Research

The main goal of our research is to understand the reactivity, structure and properties of materials involving main group elements by employing computational methods. In our current studies several aspects of main group chemistry are addressed such as: the stabilization and reactivity of phosphorus radicals, reactivity of heavy pnictogen compounds (As, Sb, Bi), weak interactions especially element specific interactions, photochemistry of main group species, development of efficient photoactive compounds, catalysis with heavier main group elements, activation of small molecules.

For more information on our research projects please see our website.

Honors

• Promotio sub auspiciis rei Publicae, 2009
• Pungor Prize, 2020
• Bolyai Fellowship, 2014-2017, 2019-2022
• New National Excellence Programme, 2019-2022

Publications

For full list see: MTMT link (ORCID, Google Scholar)

• R Suter, Z Benkő, M Bispinghoff, H Grützmacher: Annulated 1, 3, 4‐Azadiphospholides: Heterocycles with Widely Tunable Optical Properties, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2017, 56, 11226
• V Kremláček, E Kertész, Z Benkő, M Erben, R Jirásko, A. Jambor, A Rusicka, L. Dostál, Non‐conventional Behavior of a 2, 1‐Benzazaphosphole: Heterodiene or Hidden Phosphinidene? Chem. Eur. J. 2021, 52, 13149
• G Wang, LA Freeman, DA Dickie, R Mokrai, Z Benkő, RJ Gilliard Jr, Isolation of Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino) Carbene–Bismuthinidene Mediated by a Beryllium (0) Complex, Chem. Eur. J. 2019, 25 (17), 4335
• R Mokrai, J Barrett, DC Apperley, AS Batsanov, Z Benkő, D Heift, Weak Pnictogen Bond with Bismuth: Experimental Evidence Based on Bi− P Through‐Space Coupling, Chem. Eur. J. 2019,25 (16), 4017

Teaching

• General Chemistry Practice
• Chemistry I Practice BSc
• Introduction to Chemistry BSc
• Complex and organometallic chemistry MSc