Organometallic

John Hartwig: The 2019 Wolf Prize and the importance of fundamental research in the discovery of synthetic catalysts

March 9, 2019
Marge d'Wylde | College of Chemistry

John Hartwig (Ph.D.’90, Chem), is the Henry Rapoport Professor in Organic Chemistry at UC Berkeley. He joined the senior faculty at the College of Chemistry in 2011. His research group is focused on the discovery and understanding of new reactions of organic compounds catalyzed by transition metal complexes and artificial metalloenzymes. Among the many potential applications are catalysts for pharmaceuticals, renewable chemicals, and fuels.

Hartwig did his graduate research at UC Berkeley with advisors Robert Bergman...

Robert Bergman presents 2018 G.N. Lewis Memorial Lecture

October 24, 2018
by Marge d'Wylde | College of Chemistry
Robert Bergman, the Gerald E. K. Branch Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Professor of the Graduate School, presented the 65th lecture in honor of Gilbert Newton Lewis (Dean of the College from 1912-1941).

Meet our faculty: Robert Bergman

December 10, 2019
Amanda Bischoff | Berkeley Science Review

Professor Bergman in front of white board.

Prof. Bob Bergman outlines a simple technique for generating parabenzynes. image: Berkeley Science Review

In the newly released fall edition of the Berkeley graduate science magazine, Robert (Bob) Bergman is featured as the faculty profile. Learn about our esteemed faculty member who has blazed trails in both organic and organometallic chemistry.

From the...

John Hartwig receives the Arthur C. Cope Award

January 13, 2021
UC Berkeley, College of Chemistry Press Release

Professor John Hartwig

John Hartwig, Henry Rapoport Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, has been awarded the 2021 ACS Arthur C. Cope Award for the discovery, development, and mechanistic elucidation of practical reactions...

Royal Society of Chemistry marks Richard Andersen’s 75th Birthday with special publication

January 2, 2019
Professors John Arnold and Don Tilley have served as guest editors on a recent web publication of scholarly articles about the research and teaching of Professor Richard Andersen.

Holy grails: seeking out selective C–H activation

October 1, 2020
By Jamie Durrani | Chemistry World

Demonstration of complexity of C-H targets

The sheer number of C–H bonds in the precursor to the antibiotic erythromycin shows just how tricky a task it is to target a single one. The oxidation of a single C–H bond (red) makes erythromycin six times more biologically active than its precursor 6-deoxy erythromycin A – this chemical feat...

The Life and Times of Richard A. Andersen

December 10, 2019
Virtual Issues | Organometallics magazine

Richard Andersen

Academic researchers are usually quick to recognize the accomplishments of their colleagues, heaping praise on them when they reach a milestone birthday or, sadly, when they pass away. A few seem to always rise above the accolades to a place of higher reverence. One of those is Chemistry Professor Richard A. Andersen of the University of California, Berkeley.

New organometallic asymmetric synthesis research published

October 29, 2019
ACS Publications

organometallic asymmetric synthesis

In a new publication released by ACS Publications, Dean Toste (Gerald E.K.Branch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry) joins Shu-Li You (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry) penning the introduction to "Asymmetric Synthesis Enabled by Organometallic Complexes", a special edition on asymmetric synthesis enabled by organometallic complexes. According to the authors, "Chiral molecules in their enantioenriched or enantiopure forms today are targets of great significance for their widespread applications, ranging from medicinal chemistry to materials science. Asymmetric synthesis enabled by organometallic complexes is one of the preeminent routes toward these targets."

What happens when your discovery becomes personal?

August 22, 2019
Marge d'Wylde | College of Chemistry

Richmond Sarpong

Until this year Robert Harris and Robert Bergman have been esteemed colleagues at the College. Recently however, when they were at an event discussing an interview Bergman had done with Professor William Lester, they made a very interesting personal discovery. Their lives had more than crossed as children living in Chicago’s Hyde Park. In fact, they had lived about 100 yards from each other across an alleyway.