Mathias O. Senge, was born in Silbach, Germany, studied chemistry and biochemistry in Freiburg, Amherst, Marburg, and Lincoln and graduated as Diplom-Chemiker from the Philipps Universität Marburg in 1986. After a Ph.D. thesis in plant biochemistry with Prof. Horst Senger in Marburg (1989) and a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Kevin M. Smith at UC Davis, he received his habilitation in Organic Chemistry in 1996 at the Freie Universität Berlin. Next, he was a Heisenberg fellow at the Freie Universität Berlin and UC Davis. In 2002 he was appointed Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Universität Potsdam and since 2005 holds the Chair of Organic Chemistry at Trinity College Dublin. He was the recipient of fellowships from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; from 2005-2009 he was a Science Foundation Ireland Research Professor. He held visiting professorships at U Greifswald, U Potsdam, KIT, and TUM and has published over 370 publications in the area of organic chemistry, porphyrins and photosciences. His main interests are synthetic organic chemistry, hydrocarbon scaffolds, the (bio)chemistry of tetrapyrroles, photochemistry, -biology and -medicine, structural chemistry, molecular engineering of photonics materials, and history of science.
Selected Awards
2020, Hans Fischer Senior Fellow, Institute for Advanced Study, Technische Universität München
2020, Laboratory Team of the Year award for ‘Senge Group’ from the Irish Laboratory Awards
2018, August-Wilhelm Scheer Visiting Professor, Technische Universität München
2018, KIT International Collaborator Award, Karlsruhe Institut für Technologie, Karlsruhe
2006, Award of M.A. (jure officii) – Trinity College Dublin
2006, Election to Professorial Fellow – Trinity College Dublin
2005-2009, SFI Fellows – Research Professorship Award
1997-2002, Heisenberg-Fellowship of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
1989, Studienabschluß Stipendium des Vereins der chemischen Industrie
1987-1989, Full time Ph.D. scholarship of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
1983-1984, Contact Scholarship of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst
1981-1986, Full time undergraduate scholarship of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Research Interests
Organic chemistry: synthetic organic chemistry; development of new synthetic methods; synthesis of hydrocarbon scaffold molecules, triptycenes, cubanes; organometallic chemistry; photochemistry.
Bio(in)organic and biological chemistry: heterocyclic and natural product chemistry; porphyrin and tetrapyrrole chemistry; regulation of enzymatic reactions on a molecular level.
Photobiology: photosynthesis; structure and function relationship in biologically active molecules.
Crystallography: structure determination and conformational analysis of natural products and coordination compounds; crystal engineering.
Material science: photonics materials, molecular circuitry, 2D nanostructures.
History and philosophy: of photochemistry and photomedicine.
Selected Publications
Norvaiša, K.; Flanagan, K. J.; Gibbons, D.; Senge, M. O. (2019): Conformational Re‐engineering of Porphyrins as Receptors with Switchable N−H⋅⋅⋅X‐Type Binding Modes. Angewandte Chemie International Edition58, 16553–16557. doi: 10.1002/anie.201907929
Kielmann, M.; Senge, M. O. (2019): Molecular Engineering of Free-Base Porphyrins as Ligands—The N@H···X Binding Motif in Tetrapyrroles. Angewandte Chemie International Edition58, 418–441. doi:10.1002/anie.201806281
Bernhard, S. S. R.; Locke, G. M.; Plunkett, S.; Meindl, A.; Flanagan, K. J.; Senge, M. O. (2018): Cubane Cross-Coupling and Cubane-Porphyrin Arrays. Chemistry – A European Journal24, 1026–1030.
Roucan, M.; Kielmann, M.; Connon, S. J.; Bernhard, S. S. R.; Senge, M. O. (2018): Conformational control of nonplanar free base porphyrins: towards bifunctional catalysts of tunable basicity. Chemical Communications54, 26–29. doi: 10.1039/C7CC08099A
Filatov, M. A.; Karuthedath, S.; Polestshuk, P. M.; Savoie, H.; Flanagan, K. J.; Sy, C.; Sitte, E.; Telitchko, M.; Laquai, F.; Boyle R. W.; Senge, M. O. (2017): Generation of Triplet Excited States via Photoinduced Electron Transfer in meso-anthra-BODIPY: Fluorogenic Response toward Singlet Oxygen in Solution and in Vitro. Journal of the American Chemical Society139, 6282–6285. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b00551
Senge, M. O.; MacGowan, S. A.; O’Brien, J. M. (2015): Conformational control of cofactors in nature – The influence of protein-induced macrocycle distortion on the biological function of tetrapyrroles. Chemical Communications51, 17031–17063. doi: 10.1039/C5CC06254C
Senge, M. O. (2011): Extroverted Confusion – Linus Pauling, Melvin Calvin and Porphyrin Isomers. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 50, 4272–4277.
Senge, M. O. (2011): Stirring the porphyrin alphabet soup – functionalization reactions for porphyrins. Chemical Communications47, 1943–1960.
Senge, M. O. (2005): Nucleophilic Substitution as a Tool for the Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Porphyrins. Accounts of Chemical Research38, 733–743. doi: 10.1002/chin.200552249
Senge, M. O. (2006): Exercises in molecular gymnastics – Bending, stretching and twisting porphyrins. Chemical Communications, 243–256.
Kalisch, W. W.; Senge, M. O. (1998): Facile meso Functionalization of Porphyrins by Nucleophilic Substitution with Organolithium Reagents. Angewandte Chemie, International Edition in English37, 1107–1109.
Senge, M. O.; Forsyth, T. P.; Nguyen, L. T.; Smith, K. M. (1994): Sterically Strained Porphyrins. Influence of Core Protonation Versus Peripheral Substitution on the Conformation of Tetra-meso-, Octa-b-, and Dodecasubstituted Porphyrin Dications. Angewandte Chemie, International Edition in English33, 2485–2487.
Cao, Nan; Björk, Jonas; Corral-Rascon, Eduardo; Chen, Zhi; Ruben, Mario; Senge, Mathias O.; Barth, Johannes V.; Riss, Alexander: The role of aromaticity in the cyclization and polymerization of alkyne-substituted porphyrins on Au(111). Nature Chemistry 15 (12), 2023, 1765-1772 more…
Grover, Nitika; Cheveau, Maxime; Twamley, Brendan; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Mattern, Cornelia M.; Senge, Mathias O.: Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane Embedded in Porphyrinoids**. Angewandte Chemie 135 (26), 2023 more…
Grover, Nitika; Cheveau, Maxime; Twamley, Brendan; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Mattern, Cornelia M.; Senge, Mathias O.: Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane Embedded in Porphyrinoids**. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 62 (26), 2023 more…
Osadchuk, Irina; Luts, Hanna‐Eliisa; Norvaiša, Karolis; Borovkov, Victor; Senge, Mathias O.: Supramolecular Chirogenesis in a Sterically Hindered Porphyrin: A Critical Theoretical Analysis**. Chemistry – A European Journal 29 (49), 2023 more…
Ranieri, Davide; Privitera, Alberto; Santanni, Fabio; Urbanska, Karolina; Strachan, Grant J.; Twamley, Brendan; Salvadori, Enrico; Liao, Yu‐Kai; Chiesa, Mario; Senge, Mathias O.; Totti, Federico; Sorace, Lorenzo; Sessoli, Roberta: A Heterometallic Porphyrin Dimer as a Potential Quantum Gate: Magneto‐Structural Correlations and Spin Coherence Properties. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 62 (48), 2023 more…
Büchner, Robby; Vaz da Cruz, Vinícius; Grover, Nitika; Charisiadis, Asterios; Fondell, Mattis; Haverkamp, Robert; Senge, Mathias O.; Föhlisch, Alexander: Fundamental electronic changes upon intersystem crossing in large aromatic photosensitizers: free base 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxylatophenyl)porphyrin. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 24 (12), 2022, 7505-7511 more…
Donohoe, Claire; Schaberle, Fábio A.; Rodrigues, Fábio M. S.; Gonçalves, Nuno P. F.; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Pereira, Mariette M.; Senge, Mathias O.; Gomes-da-Silva, Lígia C.; Arnaut, Luis G.: Unraveling the Pivotal Role of Atropisomerism for Cellular Internalization. Journal of the American Chemical Society 144 (33), 2022, 15252-15265 more…
Gierlich, Piotr; Mucha, Sebastian G.; Robbins, Emma; Gomes‐da‐Silva, Lígia C.; Matczyszyn, Katarzyna; Senge, Mathias O.: One‐Photon and Two‐Photon Photophysical Properties of Tetrafunctionalized 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis( <i>m‐</i> hydroxyphenyl)chlorin ( <i>Temoporfin</i> ) Derivatives as Potential Two‐Photon‐Induced Photodynamic Therapy Agents. ChemPhotoChem 6 (4), 2022 more…
Ishizuka, Tomoya; Grover, Nitika; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Kotani, Hiroaki; Senge, Mathias O.; Kojima, Takahiko: Nonplanar porphyrins: synthesis, properties, and unique functionalities. Chemical Society Reviews 51 (17), 2022, 7560-7630 more…
Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Kielmann, Marc; Twamley, Brendan; Senge, Mathias O.: Self-Organization of Porphyrin–POM Dyads: Nonplanar Diacids and Oxoanions in Low-Dimensional H-Bonding Networks. Molecules 27 (20), 2022, 7060 more…
Lewandowska-Andralojc, Anna; Gacka, Ewelina; Pedzinski, Tomasz; Burdzinski, Gotard; Lindner, Aleksandra; O’Brien, Jessica M.; Senge, Mathias O.; Siklitskaya, Aleksandra; Kubas, Adam; Marciniak, Bronislaw; Walkowiak-Kulikowska, Justyna: Understanding structure–properties relationships of porphyrin linked to graphene oxide through π–π-stacking or covalent amide bonds. Scientific Reports 12 (1), 2022 more…
Norvaiša, Karolis; O’Brien, John E.; Osadchuk, Irina; Twamley, Brendan; Borovkov, Victor; Senge, Mathias O.: Importance of molecular symmetry for enantiomeric excess recognition by NMR. Chemical Communications 58 (35), 2022, 5423-5426 more…
Teeuwen, Paula C. P.; Melissari, Zoi; Senge, Mathias O.; Williams, René M.: Metal Coordination Effects on the Photophysics of Dipyrrinato Photosensitizers. Molecules 27 (20), 2022, 6967 more…
Wiehe, Arno; Senge, Mathias O.: The Photosensitizer Temoporfin (<scp><i>m</i>THPC</scp>) – Chemical, Pre‐clinical and Clinical Developments in the Last Decade<sup>†</sup><sup>‡</sup>. Photochemistry and Photobiology 99 (2), 2022, 356-419 more…
2021
Buglak, Andrey A.; Charisiadis, Asterios; Sheehan, Aimee; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Senge, Mathias O.; Filatov, Mikhail A.: Quantitative Structure‐Property Relationship Modelling for the Prediction of Singlet Oxygen Generation by Heavy‐Atom‐Free BODIPY Photosensitizers**. Chemistry – A European Journal 27 (38), 2021, 9934-9947 more…
Hohlfeld, Benjamin F.; Gitter, Burkhard; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Flanagan, Keith J.; Steen, Dorika; Wieland, Gerhard D.; Kulak, Nora; Senge, Mathias O.; Wiehe, Arno: Dipyrrinato‐Iridium(III) Complexes for Application in Photodynamic Therapy and Antimicrobial Photodynamic Inactivation. Chemistry – A European Journal 27 (21), 2021, 6440-6459 more…
Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Senge, Mathias O.: The shape of porphyrins. Coordination Chemistry Reviews 431, 2021, 213760 more…
Norvaiša, Karolis; Maguire, Sophie; Donohoe, Claire; O'Brien, John E.; Twamley, Brendan; Gomes‐da‐Silva, Ligia C.; Senge, Mathias O.: Steric Repulsion Induced Conformational Switch in Supramolecular Structures. Chemistry – A European Journal 28 (4), 2021 more…
Norvaiša, Karolis; O'Brien, John E.; Gibbons, Dáire J.; Senge, Mathias O.: Elucidating Atropisomerism in Nonplanar Porphyrins with Tunable Supramolecular Complexes. Chemistry – A European Journal 27 (1), 2021, 331-339 more…
Norvaiša, Karolis; Yeow, Kathryn; Twamley, Brendan; Roucan, Marie; Senge, Mathias O.: Strategic Synthesis of ‘Picket Fence’ Porphyrins Based on Nonplanar Macrocycles**. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021 (12), 2021, 1871-1882 more…
Sample, Harry C.; Emandi, Ganapathi; Twamley, Brendan; Grover, Nitika; Khurana, Bhavya; Sol, Vincent; Senge, Mathias O.: Synthesis and Properties of BODIPY Appended Tetraphenylethylene Scaffolds as Photoactive Arrays. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021 (29), 2021, 4136-4143 more…
Sample, Harry C.; Senge, Mathias O.: Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution (S N Ar) and Related Reactions of Porphyrinoids: Mechanistic and Regiochemical Aspects. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021 (1), 2021, 7-42 more…
2020
Callaghan, Susan; Flanagan, Keith J.; O'Brien, John E.; Senge, Mathias O.: Short-Chained Anthracene Strapped Porphyrins and their Endoperoxides. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2020 (18), 2020, 2735-2744 more…
Grover, Nitika; Emandi, Ganapathi; Twamley, Brendan; Khurana, Bhavya; Sol, Vincent; Senge, Mathias O.: Synthesis and Structure of meso ‐Substituted Dibenzihomoporphyrins. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2020 (41), 2020, 6489-6496 more…
Grover, Nitika; Flanagan, Keith J.; Trujillo, Cristina; Kingsbury, Christopher J.; Senge, Mathias O.: An Insight into Non‐Covalent Interactions on the Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane Scaffold. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2021 (7), 2020, 1113-1122 more…
Grover, Nitika; Locke, Gemma M.; Flanagan, Keith J.; Beh, Michael H. R.; Thompson, Alison; Senge, Mathias O.: Bridging and Conformational Control of Porphyrin Units through Non‐Traditional Rigid Scaffolds. Chemistry – A European Journal 26 (11), 2020, 2405-2416 more…
Norvaiša, Karolis; Kielmann, Marc; Senge, Mathias O.: Porphyrins as Colorimetric and Photometric Biosensors in Modern Bioanalytical Systems. ChemBioChem 21 (13), 2020, 1793-1807 more…
Sitte, Elisabeth; Senge, Mathias O.: The Red Color of Life Transformed - Synthetic Advances and Emerging Applications of Protoporphyrin IX in Chemical Biology. European Journal of Organic Chemistry 2020 (22), 2020, 3171-3191 more…
