27.03.17 – Professor Xile Hu has won the “2017 Organic Letters Outstanding Publication of the Year Lectureship Award” from the ACS Division of Organic Chemistry and Organic Letters.

This Award is given to scientists who publish a paper in Organic Letters that stands out in creativity and impact in the broader field of organic chemistry. Special consideration is given to the publication’s originality and impact on the field.

Professor Hu was nominated for his work on the hydrosilylation of alkenes employing a nickel pincer complex. The Organic Letters article describes a highly innovative catalytic method to employ readily available and safe alkoxy hydrosilanes as surrogates for pyrophoric and toxic silanes in the hydrosilylation of alkenes. Using a catalytic amount of a nickel pincer complex, sodium tert-butoxide, and various alkoxy hydrosilanes, Hu’s group achieved hydrosilylation with high chemoselectivity and with good functional group tolerance. The practical application of alkoxy hydrosilanes in the hydrosilylation of alkenes has important implications in fine chemical synthesis.

The award will be presented at a symposium in his honor at the fall ACS National Meeting, August 20, 2017 in Washington, DC. The award includes a plaque, an honorarium of $3,000, and an invitation to attend and present at the 2017 ACS Fall National Meeting.

Read the official ACS announcement