The Journal of Organic Chemistry, Organic Letters and the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry are proud to announce Dennis G. Hall and Dale L. Boger as the winners of the inaugural Journal of Organic Chemistry & Organic Letters Outstanding Author of the Year Lectureship Awards. Both authors will be presented with an award at a symposium in their honor at the fall ACS National Meeting, September 8-12, 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
JOC Outstanding Author of the Year: Dennis G. Hall, University of Alberta
Dr. Hall was nominated for his work on the direct synthesis of amides by condensation of amines and carboxylic acids. His article describes the development of a highly active catalyst to promote room-temperature condensation of acids and amines. The amidation reaction produces increased yields compared to stoichiometric methods, generates products requiring minimal purification and is tolerant to a variety of functionalized substrates.
Direct Amidation of Carboxylic Acids Catalyzed by ortho-Iodo Arylboronic Acids: Catalyst Optimization, Scope, and Preliminary Mechanistic Study Supporting a Peculiar Halogen Acceleration Effect
Nicolas Gernigon, Raed M. Al-Zoubi and Dennis G. Hall
DOI: 10.1021/jo3013258
OL Outstanding Author of the Year: Dale L. Boger, The Scripps Research Institute
Dr. Boger was nominated for his development of a new method for the direct hydro-functionalization of alkenes. His letter describes an iron-mediated radical functionalization of unactivated alkenes with tolerance to a large variety of substrates. The reaction proceeds exclusively with Markovnikov regioselectivity and has been used to prepare a complex and previously inaccessible natural product analogue.
Iron(III)/NaBH4-Mediated Additions to Unactivated Alkenes: Synthesis of Novel 20′-Vinblastine Analogues
Erick K. Leggans, Timothy J. Barker, Katharine K. Duncan and Dale L. Boger
DOI: 10.1021/ol300173v