Robert Corriu, Honorary Professor at University of Montpellier 2, France, has passed away on February 13, 2016.
Professor Corriu’s early research focused on organic synthesis and reaction mechanisms. In 1972, Corriu and Makoto Kumada, Japan, independently discovered the eponymous cross-coupling reaction, which uses transition metals to catalyze the coupling of Grignard reagents and organic halides. Corriu also worked on the chemistry of organosilicon compounds, and helped to elucidate their reactivity. Later, he made important contributions to nanoscience and sol-gel chemistry. Corriu developed a range of meso- and nanostructured materials for a variety of applications.
Robert J. P. Corriu studied physical sciences at the University of Montpellier, France, where he received his Ph.D. in 1961. After a year at the University of Perpignan, France, he joined the University of Poitiers, France, and then returned to Montpellier as Professor of Chemistry in 1969.
Among other honors, Professor Corriu received the Prix Le Bel from the Société Chimique de France (SCF, French Chemical Society) in 1985, the French-German Gay-Lussac-Humboldt Prize in 1991, and the Grignard-Wittig Prize from the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society) and the SCF in 2005. He was a Member of the Académie des Sciences, France, and a Member of the International Advisory Board of Angewandte Chemie from 1995 to 2005.
Selected Publications
- Comparison of two soft chemistry routes for the synthesis of mesoporous carbon/β-SiC nanocomposites,
Xavier Deschanels, Damien Hérault, Guilhem Arrachart, Cyrielle Rey, Agnès Grandjean, Guillaume Toquer, Renaud Podor, Thomas Zemb, Geneviève Cerveau, Robert Corriu,
J. Mater. Sci. 2013, 48, 4097–4108.
DOI: 10.1007/s10853-013-7222-z - New mesostructured organosilica with chiral sugar derived structures: nice host for gold nanoparticles stabilisation,
Damien Hérault, Geneviève Cerveau, Robert Corriu, Ahmad Mehdi,
Dalton Trans. 2011, 40, 446–451.
DOI: 10.1039/c0dt01162b - Functionalised mesoporous silica: a good opportunity for controlled peptide oligomerisation,
Gilles Subra, Ahmad Mehdi, Christine Enjalbal, Muriel Amblard, Luc Brunel, Robert Corriu, Jean Martinez,
J. Mater. Chem. 2011, 21, 6321–6326.
DOI: 10.1039/c0jm04492j - Selective Lanthanides Sequestration Based on a Self-Assembled Organosilica,
Eric Besson, Ahmad Mehdi, Arie Van der Lee, Hervé Chollet, Catherine Reyé, Roger Guilard, Robert Corriu,
Chem. Eur. J. 2010, 16, 10226–10233.
DOI: 10.1002/chem.200902454 - Molecular Chemistry of Sol-Gel Derived Nanomaterials,
Robert Corriu, Nguyen Trong Anh,
John Wiley & Sons 2009.
ISBN: 978-0-470-72117-9 - Tailored Ru-NHC Heterogeneous Catalysts for Alkene Metathesis,
Iyad Karamé, Malika Boualleg, Jean-Michel Camus, Tarun K. Maishal, Johan Alauzun, Jean-Marie Basset, Christophe Copéret, Robert Corriu, Erwan Jeanneau, Ahmad Mehdi, Catherine Reyé, Laurent Veyre, Chloé Thieuleux,
Chem. Eur. J. 2009, 15, 11820–11823.
DOI: 10.1002/chem.200901752 - (Trialkoxysilyl)tetrathiafulvalenes: Precursors of Organized Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Materials by Sol-Gel Chemistry,
Nathalie Bellec, Frédéric Lerouge, Benoît Pichon, Geneviève Cerveau, Robert Corriu, Dominique Lorcy,
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2005, 2005, 136–146.
DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.200400485 - A Study Using X-ray Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy of Dioxygen-Binding Xerogels Incorporating Cyclam Units Complexed with Copper Salts,
José Goulon, Chantal Goulon-Ginet, Andrei Rogalev, Fabrice Wilhelm, Nicolas Jaouen, Delphine Cabaret, Yves Joly, Géraud Dubois, Robert Corriu, Gabriel David, Stéphane Brandès, Roger Guilard,
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2005, 2005, 2714–2726.
DOI: 10.1002/ejic.200401027 - Ceramics and Nanostructures from Molecular Precursors,
Robert Corriu,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2000, 39, 1376–1398.
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(20000417)39:8<1376::AID-ANIE1376>3.0.CO;2-S - Recent Developments of Molecular Chemistry for Sol–Gel Processes,
Robert Corriu, Dominique Leclercq,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 1996, 35, 1420–1436.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.199614201 - New mixed organic-inorganic polymers: hydrolysis and polycondensation of bis(trimethoxysilyl)organometallic precursors,
Robert Corriu, Joel J. E. Moreau, Philippe Thepot, Michel Wong Chi Man,
Chem. Mater. 1992, 4, 1217–1224.
DOI: 10.1021/cm00024a020 - Activation of Grignard reagents by transition-metal complexes. A new and simple synthesis of trans-stilbenes and polyphenyls,
R. Corriu, J. P. Masse,
J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1972,144a.
DOI: 10.1039/C3972000144A