2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Goes to Two Thieme Chemistry Authors

Stuttgart/New York– Thieme congratulates Professors Richard F. Heck, Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki on jointly winning the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for "palladium-catalyzed cross-couplings in organic synthesis.”

The addition of cross-coupling reactions to the chemist’s toolbox has greatly empowered the research efforts of scientists working in the field of organic synthetic chemistry, particularly drug discovery. Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling also benefits the agricultural and electronic industries in their search for new substances. Each winners' work, considered of great importance to humanity, has been extensively covered in Thieme Chemistry's reference works, journals and encyclopedias.

Negishi and Heck have an extremely close connection to Thieme Chemistry. Professor Negishi, who has a long-standing relationship with the organization and the Science of Synthesis project, has contributed to this reference resource and detailed his research on several occasions. Professor Heck wrote an account for SYNLETT--an international journal that reports research results and trends in synthetic organic chemistry in short personalized reviews and preliminary communications. In this publication, Professor Heck notably described his initial experiments with palladium for the purpose of carbon—carbon bond formation.

"Reviews on palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling appear throughout Science of Synthesis and highlight the significant contribution of all three Nobel laureates to organic synthetic chemistry,” said Dr. M. Fiona Shortt de Hernandez, Managing Editor Science of Synthesis. “Professor Negishi is a regular and keen contributor to this comprehensive resource for chemists.”

Science of Synthesis, a comprehensive reference work that provides a critical assessment of synthetic organic chemistry (science-of-synthesis.com) has been developed by Thieme Chemistry in conjunction with renowned chemists. This regularly updated authoritative resource, comprised of volumes covering special topics in organic chemistry, is available in print and as a searchable online version. Chemists working on the design and construction of organic molecules access it in order to obtain critically evaluated information on chemical transformations.

Cross-Coupling and Heck Reactions published just this year in Volume 47 of Science of Synthesis, covers palladium-catalyzed carbon—carbon coupling reactions using the Mizoroki–Heck, Suzuki–Miyaura and Negishi coupling reactions. This article, written by D. A. Alonso and C. Nájera, is available as a complimentary download for only a limited time at thieme-chemistry.com.

Contributions written by Professor Negishi about cross coupling, published in Science of Synthesis, are also available via a trial subscription to the electronic product at thieme-chemistry.com -- including Synthesis of 1,3-Dienes by Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions, issued in 2009 and the recently published (2010) Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions of Alkenylmetals or Alkenyl Electrophiles Prepared by Alkyne Hydrometalation.

Professor Victor Snieckus, SYNLETT Editorial Board Member, organized a special SYNLETT issue in 2006 dedicated to Professor Heck for his 75th birthday that featured Heck's article Cobalt and Palladium Reagents in Organic Synthesis: The Beginning. Both the article and the editorial from this issue are available as a free download on the Thieme eJournals platform (thieme-connect.com/ejournals).

Since 1909, Thieme Chemistry has been publishing highly evaluated resources for chemists in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. "The emphasis we place on building a strong author community, to enable the exchange of ideas and communication of significant research, forms the foundation of Thieme Chemistry's successful collaboration with renowned chemists such as Professors Negishi and Heck," stated Guido F. Herrmann, Managing Director Thieme Chemistry.

About the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, founded in 1739, is an independent organization whose overall objective is to promote the sciences and strengthen their influence on society. The Academy takes special responsibility for the natural sciences and mathematics, but endeavors to promote the exchange of ideas between various disciplines.

About the Authors

Richard F. Heck, PhD, Professor Emeritus, University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, USA.

Ei-ichi Negishi, PhD, Herbert C. Brown Distinguished Professor—Organic Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.

About Thieme

Thieme Publishing Group is a privately held STM publishing house employing more than 950 people and maintains offices in New York, Delhi, Stuttgart and three other locations in Germany. Founded in 1886, the Thieme name has become synonymous with high quality and excellence in medical and scientific publishing. Today, Thieme is the market leading publisher of neurosurgical content and holds strong market positions in orthopedics, radiology, anatomy and chemistry, among other specialties. Thieme publishes 137 peer-reviewed journals and over 500 new books annually. The company also has a rapidly growing array of web-based products in medicine and science. Popular online products include Thieme eJournals and the Thieme E-Book Library, which are accessible via thieme-connect.com, Thieme's platform for electronic products.

Contact:

Dr. Guido F. Herrmann
Managing Director
Thieme Chemistry
Thieme Publishing Group
Ruedigerstraße 14
70469 Stuttgart
Germany
Tel: +49-(0)711-8931-773
Fax: +49-(0)711-8931-777
guido.herrmann (at) thieme.de

Bettina Ziegler
Public Relations and Press Office
Thieme Publishing Group
Ruedigerstraße 14
70469 Stuttgart
Germany
Tel: +49-(0)711-8931-319
Fax: +49-(0)711-8931-167
bettina.ziegler (at) thieme.de

This release was published on openPR.