The Wöhler Division for Inorganic Chemistry awarded the Wöhler-Award for Younger Chemists 2010 to Dr. Jan J. Weigand, University of Münster, Germany, at the Wöhler Conference in Freiburg, Germany (29.09.–01.10.2010).

The award, which comprises a prize of € 5.000 donated by the GDCh division, is given to a scientists with a PhD for an excellent scientific publication in the field of inorganic chemistry. The publication has to be published at the time of the nomination but should not be older than one year.

The laudatory speech was given by Prof. H. Braunschweig, University of Würzburg, Germany, who emphasized that Weigand addressed a class of compounds that was difficult to access and, therefore, barely examined – cyclo-phosphinophosphonium salts. Weigand also found that phosphorus polycations have significant potential, for example, for activating smaller molecules.

• Homepage of Jan J. Weigand, Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Münster, Germany
• Link to the publications:
  Preparation of Ligand-Stabilized [P₄O₄]²⁺ via Controlled Hydrolysis of a Janus-Head Type Diphosphorus Trication
  J. J. Weigand, K.-O. Feldmann, A. K. C. Echterhoff, A. W. Ehlers, K. Lammertsma,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49(35), 6178–6181.
  DOI: 10.1002/anie.201001363

  The stepwise hydrolysis of a Janus-head type diphosphorus trication represents a new,
  efficient methodology for the preparation of an unusual ligand-stabilized dication which
  contains a novel cationic [P₄O₄]²⁺ framework. This approach demonstrates the potential of
  the diphopshorus trication as a source for phosphorus building blocks to be used in the
  construction of novel cationic ring- and cluster systems.

  Preparation of Ligand-Stabilized [P₄O₄]²⁺ via Controlled Hydrolysis of a Janus-Head Type Diphosphorus Trication
  J. J. Weigand, K.-O. Feldmann, A. K. C. Echterhoff, A. W. Ehlers, K. Lammertsma,
  Angew. Chem. 2010, 122 (35), 6314–6317.
  DOI: 10.1002/ange.201001363
  
  New Synthetic Procedures to Catena-Phosphorus Cations: Preparation and Dissociation of the First cyclo-Phosphino-halophosphonium Salts
  J. J. Weigand, N. Burford, R. J. Davidson, T. S. Cameron, P. Seelheim,
  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 17943–17953.
  DOI: 10.1021/ja907693f