Ukrainian Chemistry Journal

ACADEMICIAN ANATOLY BILOUS – AN OUTSTANDING SPECIALIST IN SOLID STATE CHEMISTRY (to his 75th birthday)

Sergii Solopan — 2026-05-25

Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Anatoly Grigorovich Bilous, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, a well-known specialist in the field of physical and inorganic chemistry, solid state chemistry, physics of semiconductors and dielectrics.

Anatoly Bilous was born on May 8, 1951 in the village of Grushka, Khmelnytskyi region. Graduated from NTUU «Kyiv Polytechnic Institute», Faculty of Radio Electronics (1974), postgraduate studies at the L. Ya. Karpov Physicochemical Institute (1977, Moscow). Defended his candidate’s thesis, «Influence and study of some ferroelectric and antiferroelectric metal oxides and assessment of their prospects for use in microwave technology,» at the Institute of Steel and Alloys in 1978 (Moscow). And since the same year to the present time, he has been working at the V.I. Vernadsky Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry NAS of Ukraine, and has been the head of the Department of Solid State Chemistry (since 1983). He defended his doctoral dissertation, «Synthesis, structure and properties of heterosubstituted oxides based on elements of groups III-V» in 1991. Scientific directions concern the study of the formation conditions, structure, and properties of complex oxide systems and the development of highly effective materials based on them. Together with the employees of the department, Bilous developed methods for controlling the properties of oxide systems similar in chemical composition - from dielectrics to cationic conductors and semiconductors, and established the regularities of the formation of macroparticles of oxide systems (aluminates, ferrites, zirconates, titanates) with a given particle shape. He obtained new functional materials: high-permeability and high-induction ferrites, new dielectrics for ultrasensitive equipment, superconducting materials, and ionic conductors by finding a correlation between the methods of production, structure, and properties of the material. A. Bilous is also engaged in scientific and pedagogical activities. He has prepared one Doctor of Chemical Sciences and about two dozen Candidates of Chemical Sciences and Doctors of Philosophy in the specialty «Chemistry». Scientific results have been published in the form of articles published in Ukraine and abroad, protected by copyright certificates of the USSR and patents of Ukraine. In 2018, A. Bilous and S. Kobylyanska published the monograph «Oxide Lithium-Conducting Solid Electrolytes». A.G. Bilous was awarded the title of Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine (2004); he is a laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and technology (2008) for the work «Intermetallics, hydrides and oxides as the basis of new energy-saving materials», the I. Pulyuy Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (2017). In 2019, he was awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, V degree.

CATALYTIC PROPERTIES OF CARBON POWDER WITH DEPOSITED REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE IN THE ETHYLENE HYDROGENATION

Viktoriia Nosach — 2026-05-25

Metal-free catalysts based on carbon powder modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) were prepared and investigated in the ethylene hydrogenation reaction. The samples were characterized by Raman and FTIR spectroscopies, SEM, TEM, thermogravimetric analysis, and N₂ adsorption-desorption. SEM and TEM analyses showed that rGO deposition leads to the formation of wrinkled graphene-derived structures covering the external surface of the carbon support. Raman spectra confirmed the presence of defect-rich sp²-hybridized carbon domains, while FTIR analysis revealed oxygen-containing functional groups associated with partially reduced graphene oxide. Textural analysis demonstrated that rGO incorporation mainly affects the external surface area without significantly changing the microporous structure of the support.

The catalytic properties of the obtained materials were studied in ethylene hydrogenation within 50–400 °C under continuous-flow conditions. The pristine carbon powder provides the highest catalytic activity, whereas deposition of rGO results in a decrease in activity compared with the unmodified support. However, within the rGO/CP series, catalytic activity increased with increasing rGO loading, reaching 18% conversion for rGO(0.1)/CP at 400 °C.
At the same time, normalization of the reaction rate to the mass of deposited rGO showed a decrease in specific activity at higher rGO contents, attributed to partial restacking of graphene sheets and blocking of active surface sites.

The obtained results indicate that the catalytic behaviour of the investigated composites is governed by the balance between the intrinsic activity of carbon powder and the contribution of defect-rich graphene-derived domains. The findings highlight the importance of controlling graphene loading and surface accessibility in the design of efficient metal-free carbon catalysts.

SYNTHESIS, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CoTiO3 PEROVSKITES AS ANODE MATERIALS FOR LITHIUM- AND SODIUM-ION BATTERIES

Yurii Shmatok — 2026-05-25

In the work, a bimetallic cobalt-titanium oxide CoTiO₃ with a perovskite structure was synthesized by a simple method of spontaneous hydrolysis with subsequent thermal annealing. The influence of the presence of hydrogen peroxide during synthesis and annealing temperature on the phase composition, structural, morphological and surface characteristics of the obtained materials was studied using X-ray phase analysis, scanning electron microscopy and porometry. It was shown that the formation of the crystalline phase of perovskite CoTiO₃ occurs at annealing temperatures of 500 °C and above. Increasing the annealing temperature from 400 to 800 °C leads to particle enlargement from ~50 nm to 200–400 nm and a concomitant increase in crystallinity. The electrochemical properties of CoTiO₃ were studied by galvanostatic cycling in half-cells with lithium and sodium anodes in the voltage range of 0.01–3 V and current densities from 0.1 to 5 A/g. It was found that the increase in crystallinity of CoTiO₃ due to an increase in the annealing temperature to 800 °C has a positive effect on the stability of the specific capacity, improves the rate characteristics and reduces the number of activation charge-discharge cycles. In lithium-ion cells, the maximum specific capacity of CoTiO₃, which reaches 218 mAh/g after 190 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A/g, and the best stability during cycling and discharge at high current densities are characteristic of samples annealed at a temperature of 800 °C. The specific capacity of CoTiO₃ in the sodium-ion system is almost 2 times lower and is less dependent on the annealing temperature. It is shown that the nature of the alkali metal cation significantly affects the capacitive and kinetic characteristics of CoTiO₃, respectively, the better electrochemical properties of CoTiO₃ in the lithium system are associated with a higher diffusion ability and smaller kinetic limitations of the Li⁺ cation compared to the larger Na⁺ cation.

ORGANOFLUORINE CHEMISTRY IN ONCOLOGY: A REVIEW OF US FDA-APPROVED ANTICANCER DRUGS IN 2025 (review)

Alicja Wzorek — 2026-05-25

In 2025, seven fluorine-containing anticancer agents received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, underscoring the continued and growing impact of strategic fluorination in modern oncology drug design. These newly authorized therapies represent a diverse portfolio spanning a broad spectrum of malignancies, molecular targets, and innovative mechanisms of action, further validating fluorine’s unique ability to enhance drug performance. Sunvozertinib (Zegfrovy®) was approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring specific EGFR mutations. The combination of defactinib and avutometinib (Avmapki®) provides a much-needed targeted option for patients with KRAS-mutated recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer, addressing a historically challenging disease setting. Imlunestrant (Inluriyo®) offers a next-generation selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) as an effective endocrine therapy for estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative, ESR1-mutated advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Ziftomenib (Komzifti®) enables precision therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory (AML) carrying susceptible NPM1 mutations, representing a significant advancement in targeted hematologic oncology.Datopotamab deruxtecan (Datroway®), a novel TROP2-directed antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) with a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload, expands treatment options for previously treated hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and for certain TKI-experienced NSCLC populations. Taletrectinib
(Ibtrozi®), a potent next-generation ROS1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor, received approval for ROS1-positive NSCLC in both TKI-naïve and TKI-experienced patients, offering improved central nervous system penetration and activity against resistant mutations.Collectively, these seven agents vividly illustrate the remarkable versatility of fluorine incorporation in enhancing molecular potency, metabolic stability, binding selectivity, and overall pharmacokinetic performance across vastly different therapeutic modalities — from small-molecule kinase inhibitors and degraders to complex antibody–drug conjugates. The strategic placement of fluorine atoms or fluorinated groups in these molecules often leads to improved lipophilicity, stronger target engagement, reduced clearance, and better safety profiles.For each compound, we provide a comprehensive integrated discussion covering its discovery history, detailed biological mechanism of action, primary therapeutic applications, recommended clinical administration and dosing regimens, the specific role of fluorination in optimizing its pharmacological and physicochemical properties, as well as the detailed chemical synthesis routes employed in its industrial-scale production.