Royal Society of Chemistry Prizes and Awards 2016

The UK Royal Society of Chemistry has recently honored several outstanding scientists in its 2016 prizes and awards scheme. We feature some of the awardees who have recently published their work in Angewandte Chemie or its sister journals. Ian J. S. Fairlamb (University of York) is the recipient of a Corday–Morgan Prize, which is awarded to individuals under the age of 40 for their contributions to the field of chemistry. Angelos Michaelides (University College London) and Charlotte K. Williams (Imperial College London) were also honored in this category. Fairlamb carried out his PhD (completed in 1999) with Julia M. Dickinson at Manchester Metropolitan University. After postdoctoral research with Guy C. Lloyd Jones at the University of Bristol (2000–2001), he started his independent career at the University of York in 2001, and is currently Professor of Chemistry. FairlambÏs research interests are in mechanistic organic and organometallic chemistry aligned with catalysis, chemical synthesis, and medicinal applications that involve transition metals. He has discussed redox-active NOx ligands in a Minireview in Angewandte Chemie.[1] Thomas Wirth (Cardiff University) is the winner of the Bader Award, which is presented for achievements in the area of organic chemistry. Wirth studied at the University of Bonn, and carried out his PhD (completed in 1992) with Siegfried Blechert at the Technische Universit•t Berlin. After a postdoctoral work with Kaoru Fuji at Kyoto University (1992–1993), he started his independent career at the University of Basel, where he completed his habilitation (mentored by Bernd Giese) in 1999. He joined Cardiff University in 2000. WirthÏs research interests involves stereoselective electrophilic reactions, oxidative transformations with hypervalent iodine reagents, and organic synthesis performed in microreactors. His report on the use of chiral hypervalent iodine reagents for enantioselective oxidative rearrangements was featured on a cover of Chemistry—A European Journal.[2] Wirth is one of the Editorial Advisory Board Chairs of ChemistryOpen. Vincent M. Rotello (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) is the recipient of the Bioorganic Chemistry Award. Rotello studied at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Yale University, and worked with Harry Wasserman at the latter institution for his PhD (completed in 1990). From 1990– 1993, he was a postdoctoral fellow with Julius Rebek, Jr. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in 1993, he joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts, where he is currently University Distinguished Professor. RotelloÏs research program focuses on the use of synthetic organic chemistry at the interface between synthesis and biology, and spans the areas of devices, polymers, and (bio)nanotechnology (in particular delivery, imaging, diagnostics, and nanotoxicology). His recent contributions to Angewandte Chemie include a report on zwitterionic gold nanoparticles for cellular uptake.[3] Rotello also received a 2016 TREE Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. John A. Murphy (University of Strathclyde) has been honored with the Charles Rees Award, which is given for excellence in the field of heterocyclic chemistry. Murphy studied at the University of Dublin, and worked with James Staunton at the University of Cambridge for his PhD (awarded in 1980). From 1979–1980, he was a research fellow with J. William Lown at the University of Alberta, and from 1980–1983, he was a departmental demonstrator with Jack E. Baldwin at the University of Oxford. In 1983, he joined the faculty at the University of Nottingham, and in 1995, he moved to the University of Strathclyde, where he is currently Merck–Pauson Professor. Murphy and his group are interested in chemical reactivity and mechanisms of organic reactions, in particular electron-transfer reactions and radical chemistry. He has reported in Angewandte Chemie on the double deprotonation of pyridinols.[4] Andrew Weller (University of Oxford) is the winner of the Frankland Award, which is given for contributions to the fields of organometallic or coordination chemistry. Weller studied at the University of Warwick, and was awarded his PhD in 1988 for work supervised by John Jeffrey at the University of Bristol. He subsequently carried out postdoctoral research with Alan Welch at Heriot– Watt University (1995–1997) and Thomas Fehlner at the University of Notre Dame (1997–1998). He joined the University of Bath in 1998, and was made professor at the University of Oxford in 2007. Research in WellerÏs group is based on synthetic organometallic chemistry, in particular the generation and stabilization of transition-metal complexes with a low coordination number or which are “operationally unsaturated”. His latest contribution to Angewandte Chemie is a report on aminoborane dehydropolymerization.[5] Richard E. P. Winpenny (University of Manchester) has been honored with the Ludwig Mond Award, which is presented for outstanding research in the field of inorganic chemistry. Winpenny studied at Imperial College London, where he worked with David Goodgame and David Williams for his PhD (completed in 1988). After postdoctoral research with John P. Fackler, Jr. (1988–1989), he started his independent career at the University of Edinburgh in 1990. He was made Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Manchester in 2000. Winpenny and his group are Angewandte Chemie News