Armin de Meijere, University of Göttingen, Germany, celebrates his 80th birthday on May 18, 2019. De Meijere’s research focuses on the development of new transition-metal-catalyzed reactions for the efficient synthesis of complex organic molecules with biological activity or unusual bonding situations.
Armin de Meijere was born in Homberg, Germany, on May 18, 1939. He studied chemistry at the Universities of Freiburg, Germany, and Göttingen. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in 1967 and performed postdoctoral research with K. B. Wiberg at Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA. In 1969, de Meijere returned to the University of Göttingen as Lecturer of Organic Chemistry. After a stint at the University of Hamburg, Germany, he became Full Professor of Organic Chemistry in Göttingen in 1989. He remained there until his retirement in 2006 and remains at the institution as Professor Emeritus.
Among other honors, de Meijere received the Alexander von Humboldt–Gay-Lussac Prize in 1996, and the Adolf von Baeyer Medal from the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society) in 2005. He was named Professor Honoris Causa by the St. Petersburg State University, Russia, and a Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, both in 1997. He is an Honorary Member of the Editorial Board of Chemistry – A European Journal.
On May 18, there will be a special symposium with the theme “Chemistry: The Art of Designing Matter” in Weinheim, Germany, to celebrate de Meijere’s birthday. In addition, a virtual issue by the European Journal of Organic Chemistry, together with Angewandte Chemie and Chemistry – A European Journal highlights papers published by de Meijere.
Selected Publications
- Synthesis of benzannelated sultams by intramolecular Pd-catalyzed arylation of tertiary sulfonamides,
Valentin A Rassadin, Mirko Scholz, Anastasiia A Klochkova, Armin de Meijere, Victor V Sokolov,
Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2017, 13, 1932–1939.
https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.13.187 - Propellanes-From a Chemical Curiosity to “Explosive” Materials and Natural Products,
Alicia M. Dilmaç, Eduard Spuling, Armin de Meijere, Stefan Bräse,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 5684–5718.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201603951 - Synthesis of Spiro[2.2]pentanes and Spiro[2.3]hexanes Employing the Me3Al/CH2I2 Reagent,
Ilfir R. Ramazanov, Rita N. Kadikova, Tat’yana P. Zosim, Usein M. Dzhemilev, Armin de Meijere,
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2017, 2017, 7060–7067.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejoc.201700991 - Metal Catalyzed Cross-Coupling Reactions and More,
Armin de Meijere, Stefan Bräse, Martin Oestreich (Eds.),
Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2014.
ISBN: 978-3-527-33154-3 - Isocyanides in the Synthesis of Nitrogen Heterocycles,
Alexander V. Lygin, Armin de Meijere,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 9094–9124.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201000723 - 1,n-Dicarbanionic Titanium Intermediates from Monocarbanionic Organometallics and Their Application in Organic Synthesis,
Oleg G. Kulinkovich, Armin de Meijere,
Chem. Rev. 2000, 100, 2789–2834.
https://doi.org/10.1021/cr980046z - Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds: The Heck Reaction in Modern Garb,
Armin de Meijere, Frank E. Meyer,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1995, 33, 2379–2411.
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.199423791
