Prof. Alois Fürstner Named First Editor-in-Chief of Science of Synthesis

Stuttgart, February 2017 – Professor Alois Fürstner, Managing Director at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung (Max-Planck-Institut for Coal Research), Mülheim on Ruhr, has taken over the position as Editor-in-Chief on the Science of Synthesis (SOS) Editorial Board. An expert in organometallic chemistry, Professor Fürstner, has been a Member of the Editorial Board since 2008.

Science of Synthesis offers reliable, proven and peer-reviewed information on synthetic methods in organic chemistry. The reference work is used by chemists in corporations, research and educational institutions around the world, whether as an interactive online tool offering full-text and structure search functions or as a printed edition. Science of Synthesis delivers proven synthesis procedures for a wide range of different compound classes. It is continually updated and evolved by an Editorial Board of nine international experts in close cooperation with Thieme Chemistry’s publishing team.

“My task as Editor-in-Chief will be to work with the Editorial Board to ensure that the methods presented in Science of Synthesis continue to reflect the latest insights in synthetic chemistry,” Professor Alois Fürstner comments. Science of Synthesis content is regularly reviewed and adapted. “This large database offers both a quick overview and in-depth information on all relevant problems in chemical synthesis” Professor Fürstner says. “That’s what makes SOS both unique and essential.” Over 1,800 renowned authors around the world contribute to the reference work. They review synthesis methods in their respective fields and suggest as well as prepare them for publication.

Professor Fürstner’s research at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung focuses on the development of organometallic reagents and catalysts and their application to the synthesis of structurally complex targets of biological significance. Particular attention is paid to the development and validation of catalytic methods for C—C bond formation.

Professor Fürstner, a native of Austria, earned his PhD at the Technical University of Graz, Austria, and then took a postdoctoral fellowship position at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Following his “habilitation”, he became group leader at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung. He has been a Director at the Institute as well as a lecturer at the Technical University Dortmund since 1998.

Last year, he was awarded the Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods of the American Chemical Society. In previous years, he won the Karl Ziegler Award of the German Chemical Society, the Mukaiyama Award, the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award, the Thieme-IUPAC Awards in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, and many others.

Professor Fürstner brings extensive publication experience to his new position, having served on numerous editorial and advisory boards of diverse international journals. He has been a member of the Science of Synthesis Editorial Board since 2008. “The speed of advances in organic synthesis has never been greater. In times as exciting as these, I am thrilled to shape the future of Science of Synthesis in cooperation with the Editorial Board,” Professor Fürstner states. Dr. Fiona Shortt de Hernandez, Thieme Chemistry’s Managing Editor in charge of the reference work, also welcomes Professor Fürstner’s appointment: “Professor Fürstner is an expert in synthetic chemistry who brings a wide range of experience, skills, expertise, and a broad horizon to this important task of chemical knowledge transfer,” she comments.

To learn more about the Science of Synthesis print and online editions, please visit www.thieme-chemistry.com/sos/. 14-day free trials are available upon request.

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