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History of the Department of Organic Chemistry
After the repairs of damages caused by the air raids of World War II, scientific work started again at the University. Professor Béla Tankó (1905-1974) coordinated the reorganization of chemistry teaching, and in cooperation with others, had an outstanding role in the establishment of the Faculty of Science and in the frame of this, the Department of Organic Chemistry. Since the renovation of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry was not finished, in 1947 Professor Tankó offered a part of his mansion at Simonyi street 4 for housing the new department. He was the head of the Department until 1950, when Professor Rezső Bognár (1913-1990), a former student of Professor Géza Zemplén (1883-1956) was invited to lead the Department. Meanwhile the Department moved to the Central Building of the University and, after completion of the Chemistry Building in 1969, it was relocated to its present place. Under the leadership of Professor Rezső Bognár, the research profile included the following topics:
Carbohydrates
Flavonoids
Alkaloids
Antibiotics
In 1961, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences founded the Research Group for Antibiotic Chemistry which was led by Professor Bognár until 1988. In 1979, Professor Sándor Makleit, whose research activity was focused on alkaloid chemistry and who was Professor Bognár's colleague, was appointed to become head of the Departement. In 1992, Professor Sándor Antus from the Department of Organic Chemistry of the Technical University of Budapest was appointed as head of the Department with his research on flavanoid chemistry in Debrecen he ensured continuity of the scientific heritage of Professors Zemplén and Bognár. In july of 2008 Professor Tamás Patonay, whose main research activity was focused on the synthesis of O-, and N-heterocycles and development and application of new organic synthetic metodology was appionted as a head of Department
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