He and his pupils suggested the first quantum-mechanical model of proton transfer in polar solvents taking into account the dynamic role of the polar solvent, and created a well-known quantum-mechanical theory of kinetics of chemical, electrochemical and biochemical processes in polar liquids, as well as a quantum-mechanical theory of kinetics of atomic-molecular transformation in condensed media.
Dogonadze founded and was the first head (1978–1985) of the Department of Theoretical Investigations of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and Electrochemistry of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences (GNAS).
In 1982-1985 he was also Head of the Department of General and Theoretical Physics of the Georgian Technical University and in 1982 was elected Corresponding Member of the GAS.
Dogonadze organized a number of international conferences in his subject, and was author about 190 scientific research works (among them 7 monographs).
He was co-editor and co-author of a three-volume collective monograph The Chemical Physics of Solvation (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1985–1986).