[dr Igor M. Opsenica]

Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, Beograd
Department of Organic Chemistry

Phone:   011-3336750

Phone (local):   750

Office:   433

Laboratory:   432, 524

E-mail:   igorop@chem.bg.ac.rs

Personal data

Born on July 30, 1977 in Belgrade, Serbia. Married. Speaks Serbian and English language.

Education and qualifications

1996-2003: Undergraduate studies - Chemistry / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2003-2007: Master of science studies - Chemistry / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2007-2011: Doctoral academic (PhD) studies - Chemistry / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2011-2012: Postdoctoral studies / University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemistry (Pittsburgh, United States)

History of employment

2007-2008: Teaching assistant / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2008-2012: Assistant / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2012-2018: Assistant professor / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2017-2022: Associate professor / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

2022: Full professor / University of Belgrade - Faculty of Chemistry (Belgrade, Serbia)

Scientific interest

Organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemistry of heterocyclic compounds.

Transition metal-catalyzed C-C and C-heteroatom cross-coupling reactions.

A review of scientific research.

Other activities

Member of Serbian Chemical Society from 2003 - Section for organic chemistry; Section for medicinal chemistry. Member of the administrative committee.

Member of American Chemical Society from 2006 - Section for organic chemistry.

Member of the Publishing Center Council from December 8, 2016 till December 11, 2019.

Member of the Committee for Self-evaluation from November 9, 2017 till October 8, 2020.

Member of the Publishing Center Council from December 12, 2019 till January 12, 2023.

Member of the Board of the Faculty of Chemistry from September 29, 2020 till June 22, 2023.

Member of the Committee for Self-evaluation from October 8, 2020 till December 8, 2023.

Member of the Committee for the Protection of Intellectual Property from June 8, 2023.

Educational activities

Participation in research projects

Active projects:

Finished projects:

  • 2011: The Synthesis of Aminoquinoline-based Antimalarials and Botulinum Neurotoxin A Inhibitors – 172008   (principal investigator)
    project type:   National Fundamental Research Projects
    project is funded by: Ministry of Science and Technological Development (Belgrade, Serbia)
  • 2009: Second Generation Small Molecule Inhibitors of Botulinum Neurotoxins – 1U01AI082051-01
    project type:   International
    project is funded by: National Institute of Health (Bethesda, Maryland, United States)
  • 2018-2020: Interactions of antibodies with iminoguanidine heme analogues – molecular mechanisms and functional implications – 451-03-01963/2017-09/03   (principal investigator)
    project type:   International
    project is funded by: Ministarstvo prosvete, nauke i tehnološkog razvoja (Belgrade, Serbia), Ministarstvo inostranih poslova i Ministarstvo za visoko obrazovanje (Pariz, France)

Author identification numbers

Representative references

Knjige / Books:

  • I. Opsenica: Hemija heterocikličnih jedinjenja I, Hemijski fakultet, Beograd, 2016.
  • I. Opsenica: Hemija heterocikličnih jedinjenja II, Hemijski fakultet, Beograd, 2021.

Revijalni radovi / Reviews:

  • B. Kokić, B. Vulović, M. Jović, A. Andrijević, V. Ajdačić, I. M. Opsenica, Strategies for carbon electrophile addition to carbonyls and imines by cobalt catalysis, Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2023, 26, e202300997.
  • Ž. Selaković, A. M. Nikolić, V. Ajdačić, I. M. Opsenica, Application of transition metal-catalyzed decarbonylation of aldehydes in the total synthesis of natural products, Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2022, e202101265.

Izabrani radovi / Selected papers:

  1. A. M. Nikolić, J. Stanić, M. Zlatar, M. Gruden, B. Anđelković, Ž. Selaković, V. Ajdačić, I. M. Opsenica, Controlling Pd-catalyzed N‑arylation and Dimroth rearrangement in the synthesis of N,1-diaryl‑1H‑tetrazol-5-amines, J. Org. Chem., 2021, 86, 4794-4803.
  2. A. M. Nikolić, F. Živković, Ž. Selaković, P. Wipf, I. M. Opsenica, One-pot two-step synthesis of isochromene-fused CF3-substituted pyrazoles, Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2020, 5616-5619.
  3. A. M. Nikolić, V. Ajdačić, I. M. Opsenica, Palladium-catalyzed N-arylation of 1-substituted-1H-tetrazol-5-amines, J. Organomet. Chem., 2019, 880, 134-142.
  4. S. Jeremic, L. Djokic, V, Ajdačić, N. Božinović, V. Pavlović, D. D. Manojlović, R. Babu, R. Senthamaraikannan, O. Rojas, I. Opsenica, J. Nikodinovic-Runic, Production of bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) and its application as a solid support in transition metal catalysed cross-coupling reactions, Int. J. Biol. Macromol., 2019, 129, 351-360.
  5. V. Ajdačić, A. Nikolić, S. Simić, D. Manojlović, Z. Stojanović, J. Nikodinovic-Runic, I. M. Opsenica, Decarbonylation of aromatic aldehydes and dehalogenation of aryl halides using maghemite-supported palladium catalyst, Synthesis, 2018, 50, 119-126.
  6. V. Ajdačić, S. Stepanović, M. Zlatović, M. Gruden, I. M. Opsenica, Decarbonylative dibromination of 5-phenylthiophene-2-carbaldehyde with bromine, Synthesis, 2016, 48, 4423-4430.
  7. N. Božinović, S. Šegan, S. Vojnovic, A. Pavic, B. A. Šolaja, J. Nikodinovic-Runic, I. M. Opsenica, Synthesis and anti-Candida activity of novel benzothiepino[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives, Chem. Biol. Drug Des., 2016, 88, 795-806.
  8. V. Ajdačić, L. Senerovic, M. Vranić, M. Pekmezovic, V. Arsic-Arsenijevic, A. Veselinovic, J. Veselinovic, B. A. Šolaja, J. Nikodinovic-Runic, I. M. Opsenica, Synthesis and evaluation of thiophene-based guanylhydrazones (iminoguanidines) efficient against panel of voriconazole-resistant fungal isolates, Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2016, 24, 1277-1291.
  9. I. M. Opsenica, M. Tot, L. Gomba, J. E. Nuss, R. J. Sciotti, S. Bavari, J. C. Burnett, B. A. Šolaja, 4-Amino-7-chloroquinolines: Probing ligand efficiency provides botulinum neurotoxin serotype A light chain inhibitors with significant antiprotozoal activity, J. Med. Chem., 2013, 56, 5860-5871.
  10. I. Opsenica, J. C. Burnett, R. Gussio, D. Opsenica, N. Todorović, C. A. Lanteri, R. J. Sciotti, M. Gettayacamin, N. Basilico, D. Taramelli, J. E. Nuss, L. Wanner, R. G. Panchal, B. A. Šolaja, S. Bavari, A chemotype that inhibits three unrelated pathogenic targets: the botulinum neurotoxin serotype A light chain, P. falciparum malaria, and the ebola filovirus, J. Med. Chem., 2011, 54, 1157-1169.