Reaction Mechanisms Conference

This distinguished Reaction Mechanisms Conference (RMC) has held a position of long-standing significance in mechanistic chemistry since its founding in 1946. The RMC resembles a Gordon Research Conference in both size and format. Discussion and sharing of ideas at the forefront of the field has always been the style. Subjects traditionally include organic, organometallic, inorganic, and biological studies with significant mechanistic implications. The scope has broadened in the past decade; initially the focus was on mechanistic organic chemistry in the traditional sense, with emphasis on the topics and controversies that had great impact on the development of organic chemistry as a whole. The list of the organizers for the early conferences includes the names of many of the founding fathers of modern organic chemistry.

37th Reaction Mechanisms Conference

The 37th Reaction Mechanisms Conference (RMC) will be held June 10-13, 2018 at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Ken Houk will be the honoree. The topics that RMC 2018 will focus on are among others; theory, reactive intermediates, materials, catalysts, dynamics in solution and solid state.The RMC has been serving the mechanistic chemistry community since 1954, and typically about 150–200 faculty, students, and industrial chemists attend the meeting. 

Abstracts are now being accepted at: https://groups.chem.ubc.ca/rmc/.  Housing information is available here: https://www.rmc-2018.com/housing.  Meeting registration information will be available shortly. For more information on the 2018 conference see the conference website: www.rmc-2018.com

Recent Reaction Mechanisms Conference

Topics covered at RMC 2016 included computational chemistry, mechanisms in synthesis, materials/supramolecular chemistry, photochemistry and reactive intermediates, and biomechanisms. The 36th conference also included scientific poster sessions and a workshop on best practices to increase diversity and access to the study of chemistry and careers in chemistry. As in previous years, an important feature of the RMC is participation of undergraduates. The Theoretically Interesting Molecules (TIM) consortium led by K.C. Russell (Northern Kentucky University) has again been approved for NSF-REU funding.  Part of the undergraduates’ participation is the Undergraduate Context Session, during which the TIM consortium faculty members lead an interactive problem-solving session to further clarify/explain some of the seminar topics presented at the conference. 

As tradition, RMC 2016 devoted an evening session to honor the career and accomplishments of a scientist or scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of mechanistic chemistry. The RMC 2016 honorees were Professors Matthew S. Platz and Weston T. Borden.

History of the Reaction Mechanisms Conference

Brian Myers and Ed Fenlon are researching the history of the Reaction Mechanisms Conference (view their recent work on the NOS). Currently, they are gathering information, photos, and stories about past conferences from previous participants. In particular, they are looking for the speakers and titles for the RMC from these years: 1962, 1964, 1966, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002. Ideally this would come from copies of the program books – scanned in electronic versions or hard copies. Please send information to Brian Myers and Ed Fenlon.

36thSt. Louis University
John P. Toscano and Dina C. Merrer (co-Chairs), Ryan D. McCulla (Local Organizer)2016