Andreas Pfaltz (born 10 May 1948) is a Swiss chemist known for his work in the area of
coordination chemistry and
catalysis.
Education and professional life
Andreas Pfaltz studied at
ETH Zurich, completing his undergraduate diploma in natural sciences in 1972 and his PhD in organic chemistry in 1978. His doctoral supervisor was
Albert Eschenmoser, whose research into
vitamin B12 and other
corrin rings would influence Pfaltz's early research.[1] Following a two-year postdoctoral position at
Columbia University (early 1978 – late 1979), working for
Gilbert Stork on the synthesis of
Rifamycin,[2] he returned to ETH Zurich as a lecturer and began his own research. In 1990 he was appointed as an associate professor at the
University of Basel, becoming a full professor in 1993. Between 1995 and 1998 he was a director of the prestigious
Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, afterwards returning to the University of Basel, where he has remained till the present day.
Research
Pfaltz's early research was influenced by his PhD supervisor
Albert Eschenmoser and was largely based around the synthesis of
corrins,[3]porphyrins[4] and other
macrocycles. During the second half of the 1980s he began to use fragments of these macrocycles as novel
ligands for
asymmetric catalysis, with
chiralC2-symmetric semicorrins being the most successful example.[5][6] Following the development of structurally related
bis(oxazoline)s Pfaltz began using and developing various
oxazoline based ligands, making significant contributions to the known chemistry of
phosphinooxazolines.[7][8] His current research activities remain focused on ligand development, asymmetric catalysis and catalyst screening.
Professional appointments
Scientific staff member, ETH Zürich, 1980–1986
Privatdozent (lecturer), ETH Zürich, 1987–1990
Associate professor, University of Basel, 1990–1993
Professor of organic chemistry, University of Basel, 1993–1995
^Rasetti, Vittorio; Hilpert, Kurt; Fässler, Alexander; Pfaltz, Andreas; Eschenmoser, Albert (1 December 1981). "The Dihydrocorphinol→ Corrin Ring Contraction: A Potentially Biomimetic Mode of Formation of the Corrin Structure". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 20 (12): 1058–1060.
doi:
10.1002/anie.198110581.
^Pfaltz, Andreas; Jaun, Bernhard; Fassler, Alexander; Eschenmoser, Albert; Jaenchen, Rolf; Gilles, Hans Harald; Diekert, Gabriele; Thauer, Rudolf K. (5 May 1982). "Zur Kenntnis des Faktors F430 aus methanogenen Bakterien: Struktur des porphinoiden Ligandsystems". Helvetica Chimica Acta. 65 (3): 828–865.
doi:
10.1002/hlca.19820650320.
^Fritschi, Hugo; Leutenegger, Urs; Pfaltz, Andreas (1 November 1986). "Chiral Copper-Semicorrin Complexes as Enantioselective Catalysts for the Cyclopropanation of Olefins by Diazo Compounds". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 25 (11): 1005–1006.
doi:
10.1002/anie.198610051.
^Pfaltz, Andreas (1 June 1993). "Chiral semicorrins and related nitrogen heterocycles as ligands in asymmetric catalysis". Accounts of Chemical Research. 26 (6): 339–345.
doi:
10.1021/ar00030a007.
^Helmchen, Günter; Pfaltz, Andreas (2000). "PhosphinooxazolinesA New Class of Versatile, Modular P,N-Ligands for Asymmetric Catalysis". Accounts of Chemical Research. 33 (6): 336–345.
doi:
10.1021/ar9900865.
PMID10891051.
^von Matt, Peter; Pfaltz, Andreas (1 April 1993). "Chiral Phosphinoaryldihydrooxazoles as Ligands in Asymmetric Catalysis: Pd-Catalyzed Allylic Substitution". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 32 (4): 566–568.
doi:
10.1002/anie.199305661.