Professor Ben Feringa, University of Groningen, The Netherlands, has been awarded the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh, German Chemical Society). The award was presented at the 6th EuCheMS Chemistry Congress in Seville, Spain, on September 15, 2016.
The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal is awarded every two years and recognizes outstanding achievements in chemistry, in particular by scientists working outside of Germany.
Ben Feringa studied chemistry at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, where he received his Ph.D. in 1978 under the supervision of Hans Wynberg. After working as a Research Scientist at Shell Laboratories in the Netherlands and the UK, he returned to the University of Groningen as Lecturer. In 1988, he was promoted to Full Professor of Organic Chemistry and in 2004, Feringa was named the Jacobus H. van’t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences.
Feringa is a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences. In 2008, he was appointed Academy Professor and was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands. Among others honors, his research has been recognized with the Spinoza Award (the highest scientific distinction in the Netherlands), the Prelog Gold Medal, the Paracelsus Medal, and the Nagoya Gold Medal.
Professor Feringa’s work focuses on stereochemistry, organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, molecular switches and motors, self-assembly, and molecular nanosystems.
Selected Publications
- Enantiopure Functional Molecular Motors Obtained by a Switchable Chiral-Resolution Process,
Thomas van Leeuwen, Jefri Gan, Jos C. M. Kistemaker, Stefano F. Pizzolato, Mu-Chieh Chang, Ben L. Feringa,
Chem. Eur. J. 2016, 22, 7054–7058.
DOI: 10.1002/chem.201600628 - Unraveling the Photoswitching Mechanism in Donor–Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts,
Michael M. Lerch, Sander J. Wezenberg, Wiktor Szymanski, Ben L. Feringa,
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 6344–6347.
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b01722 - Fast, greener and scalable direct coupling of organolithium compounds with no additional solvents,
Erik B. Pinxterhuis, Massimo Giannerini, Valentín Hornillos, Ben L. Feringa,
Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 11698.
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11698 - Orthogonal photoswitching in a multifunctional molecular system,
Michael M. Lerch, Mickel J. Hansen, Willem A. Velema, Wiktor Szymanski, Ben L. Feringa,
Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 12054.
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12054 - Molecular Switches,
Ben L. Feringa, Wesley R. Browne (Eds.),
Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2011.
ISBN: 978-3-527-31365-5 - Making molecular machines work,
Wesley R. Browne, Ben L. Feringa,
Nat. Nanotechnol. 2006, 1, 25–35.
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2006.45 - New Functional Materials Based on Self-Assembling Organogels: From Serendipity towards Design,
Jan H. van Esch, Ben L. Feringa,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2000, 39, 2263–2266.
DOI: 10.1002/1521-3773(20000703)39:13<2263::AID-ANIE2263>3.0.CO;2-V - Light-driven monodirectional molecular rotor,
Ben L. Feringa, Nagatoshi Koumura, Robert W. J. Zijlstra, Richard A. van Delden, Nobuyuki Harada,
Nature 1999, 401, 152–155.
DOI: 10.1038/43646
Also of Interest
- August Wilhelm von Hofmann Medal 2014,
ChemViews Mag. 2014.
Professor Barry M. Trost, Stanford University, USA, is this year’s laureate - S. Shaik and M. Quack Receive August Wilhelm von Hofmann Gold Medal,
ChemViews Mag. 2012.
Sason Shaik, Israel, and Martin Quack, Switzerland, are awarded the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Gold Medal of the GDCh - Direct Cross-Coupling of Organolithium Reagents,
Claire D‘Andola,
ChemViews Mag. 2014.
Cut Out the Middle Man! Cross-coupling of organolithium reagents with aryl and vinyl triflates - Ben Feringa Gives Theodor Förster Memorial Lecture,
ChemViews Mag. 2014.
Feringa’s outstanding work is honored with one of the most important photochemistry awards worldwide - Nagoya Medals Awarded,
ChemViews/Jonathan Faiz,
ChemViews Mag. 2013.
Professor Ben Feringa and Professor Naoto Chatani have been presented the Nagoya Gold and Silver Medals, respectively - Polish Chemical Society Awards,
Monika Michel,
ChemViews Mag. 2013.
Ben Feringa, Netherlands, and Janusz Jurczak, Poland, have received awards from the Polish Chemical Society - Author Profile: Ben L. Feringa,
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 470–1472.
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201006997
