Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

For this year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to two scientists who independently developed asymmetric organocatalysis, a powerful tool for building molecules:

• Benjamin List: German, received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Frankfurt in 1997. He currently serves as Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung and Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cologne.
• David W.C. MacMillan: Scottish-American, earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Caltech in 1996. He is currently the James Irvine Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University.

Their Contributions:

Traditionally, organic molecules were created using metal catalysts. However, List and MacMillan independently discovered and developed a new method called asymmetric organocatalysis, which utilizes small organic molecules as catalysts instead of metals. This opened up exciting possibilities for more sustainable and efficient synthesis of complex molecules.

• List's discovery revolved around using proline derivatives as organocatalysts, demonstrating their effectiveness in various reactions.
• MacMillan's work focused on developing amine-based catalysts and applying them to diverse transformations, including the production of pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules.

Their groundbreaking work on asymmetric organocatalysis has revolutionized organic chemistry, offering a greener and more efficient approach to molecule construction. Their ongoing research holds immense promise for further advancements in drug development, materials science, and sustainable chemical technologies.