Bill Morandi, Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Coal Research, Mülheim, Germany, has received the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize 2018 from the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society). The prize is awarded to chemists under 40 years of age who do not hold a position as Full Professor but have distinguished themselves through original work.
The award includes a 7,500 EUR endowment and was presented at the Chemiedozententagung 2018 in Jena, Germany, on March 5, 2018. Morandi was honored for his excellent work on homogeneous catalysis and synthesis.
Morandi’s research focuses on developing innovative synthetic methodologies and establishing new concepts in catalysis. His interests include so-called “shuttle catalysis” reactions, aliphatic C–O bond activation, and the direct catalytic synthesis of unprotected amines.
Bill Morandi studied biology, chemical biology, and organic chemistry at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where he received his Ph.D. in 2012 under the supervision of Erick M. Carreira. He then joined the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA, as a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Robert H. Grubbs. Since 2014, Morandi is an Independent Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Coal Research.
Among other honors, Morandi has received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant in 2017, the ADUC Prize from the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society) in 2017, the Ružička Prize from ETH Zurich in 2016, and the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award in 2016.
Selected Publications
- C–H carbonylation: In situ acyl triflates ace it,
Yong Ho Lee, Bill Morandi,
Nat. Chem. 2018, 10, 116–117.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2934 - Nickel-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Chlorides and Triflates Using Butyronitrile: Merging Retro-hydrocyanation with Cross-Coupling,
Peng Yu, Bill Morandi,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 15693–15697.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201707517 - Ether Synthesis through Reductive Cross-Coupling of Ketones with Alcohols Using Me2SiHCl as both Reductant and Lewis Acid,
Bill Morandi, Yong Lee,
Synlett 2017, 28, 2425–2428.
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1590838 - Iron-Catalyzed Preparation of Trifluoromethyl Substituted Vinyl- and Alkynylcyclopropanes,
Bill Morandi, Jeremy Cheang, Erick M. Carreira,
Org. Lett. 2011, 13, 3080–3081.
https://doi.org/10.1021/ol200983s - Enantioselective Cobalt-Catalyzed Preparation of Trifluoromethyl-Substituted Cyclopropanes,
Bill Morandi, Brian Mariampillai, Erick M. Carreira,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 1101–1104.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201004269 - Iron-Catalyzed Cyclopropanation with Trifluoroethylamine Hydrochloride and Olefins in Aqueous Media: In Situ Generation of Trifluoromethyl Diazomethane,
Bill Morandi, Erick M. Carreira,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 938–941.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200905573
Also of Interest
- Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize 2017,
ChemViews Mag. 2017.
Shigeyoshi Inoue, Technical University Munich, Germany, honored - Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize for Felix R. Fischer,
ChemViews Mag. 2016.
Physical organic chemist honored for work on functional materials - 2015 Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize,
ChemViews Mag. 2015.
Kallol Ray, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany, honored - Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize for T. Junkers,
ChemViews/Jonathan Faiz,
ChemViews Mag. 2014.
Professor Thomas Junkers, Belgium, is awarded by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh; German Chemical Society)
