Dr. Alain De Mesmaeker, Syngenta Crop Protection and Crop Enhancement Research, Stein, Switzerland, has been elected President of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) for 2016–2018. He succeeds Professor E. Peter Kündig, University of Geneva, Switzerland, who has served as President since 2010.
Alain De Mesmaeker studied chemistry at the Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, and received his Ph.D. from there in 1978 under the supervision of H. G. Viehe. After postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute of Sciences, Rehovot, Israel, with M. D. Bachi, he joined Ciba-Geigy, Basel, Switzerland, as Team Leader in 1985.
In 1997, De Mesmaeker became Group Leader at Novartis Crop Protection Research, and from 2000–2008, he served as Global Head of Research Chemistry at Syngenta Crop Protection. Since 2008, he is Principal Chemistry Expert and Principal Syngenta Fellow at Syngenta Crop Protection and Crop Enhancement Research in Stein, Switzerland.
Dr. De Mesmaeker’s research interests cover phytohormones, insectides, herbicides, and fungicides, as well as synthetic organic chemistry.
- Swiss Chemical Society (SCS), Bern, Switzerland
Selected Publications
- Access to functionalized 3-amino-benzothiophenes using keteniminium intermediates,
Alexandre Lumbroso, Julien Behra, Amandine Kolleth, Pierre-Yves Dakas, Ulfet Karadeniz, Saron Catak, Sarah Sulzer-Mossé, Alain De Mesmaeker,
Tetrahedron Lett. 2015, 56, 6541–6545.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.09.103 - Strigolactam: New potent strigolactone analogues for the germination of Orobanche cumana,
Mathilde Lachia, Hanno Christian Wolf, Pierre Joseph Marcel Jung, Claudio Screpanti, Alain De Mesmaeker,
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2015, 25, 2184–2188.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.03.056 - Efficient access to functionalized cyclobutanone derivatives using cyclobuteniminium salts as highly reactive Michael acceptors,
Alexandre Lumbroso, Saron Catak, Sarah Sulzer-Mossé, Alain De Mesmaeker,
Tetrahedron Lett. 2015, 56, 2397–2401.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.02.112 - Synthesis of cyclobuteniminium salts derived from aldo-keteniminium salts and study of their reactivity in Diels-Alder reaction,
Alexandre Lumbroso, Saron Catak, Sarah Sulzer-Mossé, Alain De Mesmaeker,
Tetrahedron Lett. 2014, 55, 6721–6725.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.10.013 - Efficient synthesis of fused bicyclic ethers and their application in herbicide chemistry,
Jürgen Schaetzer, Andrew J.F. Edmunds, Katharina Gaus, Stefano Rendine, Alain De Mesmaeker, Willy Rueegg,
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2014, 24, 4643–4649.
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.08.043 - Asymmetric synthesis of the four stereoisomers of 5-deoxystrigol,
Mathilde Lachia, Pierre-Yves Dakas, Alain De Mesmaeker,
Tetrahedron Lett. 2014, 55, 6577–6581.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.10.040
Also of Interest
- Interview: Serving all Kinds of Chemical Scientists,
Eva E. Wille, Michael Rowan,
ChemViews Mag. 2015.
DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201500021
David Spichiger, Executive Director of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) on their strategic pillars, secrets for success, and challenges for the future - Interview: E. Peter Kündig: Chemistry in Switzerland,
Vera Köster,
ChemViews Mag. 2014.
DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201300124
The President of the Swiss Chemical Society talks about their program of reform and the fascination of discovery
