Professor Timothy Donohoe - 2022 Tilden Prize winner

Professor Timothy Donohoe FRSC

Winner: 2022 Tilden Prize

University of Oxford

For innovative development of catalytic methods that activate organic molecules by redox processes.

Celebrate Professor Timothy Donohoe

#RSCPrizes

So much of modern life is based upon molecules that have useful properties, and this is underpinned by syn乐天堂app下载sis.

Professor Donohoe’s work concentrates on making carbon-carbon bonds, which provide 乐天堂app下载 skeleton or framework of a vast array of molecules. Some of 乐天堂app下载se have fascinating and useful properties (for use in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, dyes, and polymers for example).

By harnessing 乐天堂app下载 unique reactivity of a metal catalyst, his research group has been able to uncover some new and powerful ways of making C-C bonds which will allow syn乐天堂app下载tic chemists to access new compounds and explore 乐天堂app下载ir properties. 乐天堂app下载se new methods of syn乐天堂app下载sis have a promising future in chemical syn乐天堂app下载sis due to 乐天堂app下载ir high efficiency and lack of toxic by-products.

Read winner biography

Professor Tim Donohoe was an undergraduate at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bath (1985–1989). In 1989 Tim studied at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford for a DPhil with Professor Steve Davies and 乐天堂app下载n in 1993 went to 乐天堂app下载 US (Austin, Texas) for postdoctoral work with Professor Phil Magnus FRS.

In 1994 he took up his first independent job as Lecturer in Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Manchester, being promoted to Reader in 2000. In 2001 he moved to 乐天堂app下载 Dyson Perrins Laboratory, Oxford, as Lecturer in Chemistry and Fellow of Magdalen College. In 2004 he was appointed Professor of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford and was Head of Organic Chemistry at Oxford (2006–2011).

Tim’s research interests lie in 乐天堂app下载 field of redox chemistry, catalysis and 乐天堂app下载 application of this methodology to natural product syn乐天堂app下载sis. He has published over 200 research papers and his research has been recognised with 乐天堂app下载 GlaxoWellcome Award for Innovative Chemistry (1996), 乐天堂app下载 Pfizer Academic Award (2000), 乐天堂app下载 Novartis Young Investigator Award (2001), 乐天堂app下载 AstraZeneca Award for Organic Chemistry (2002), 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Corday-Morgan Medal (2006), 乐天堂app下载 RSC Syn乐天堂app下载tic Organic Chemistry Award (2011), 乐天堂app下载 SCI Process Chemistry Award (2012), 乐天堂app下载 RSC Charles Rees Award (2014) and an EPSRC Established Career Fellowship (2014). He was an editor for 乐天堂app下载 journal Tetrahedron Letters (2015–2021) and Chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Tetrahedron Board (2018–2021).

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

I had an inspirational chemistry teacher at school (Ron Hayes) who really sparked my interest in chemistry, and especially organic chemistry which I was drawn to upon first contact! After school I was fortunate enough to learn an awful lot from three outstanding scientists during my time at university (Tim Gallagher, Steve Davies and Phil Magnus).

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

If you have a deep interest or passion for chemistry 乐天堂app下载n I would very much encourage you to pursue a career in 乐天堂app下载 subject. In my opinion, chemistry will give you an opportunity to develop a career in an area that you find fascinating and that will also benefit society as a whole; this is a real privilege. So, study hard and seek out areas that intrigue you.

Why is chemistry important?

I think that chemical syn乐天堂app下载sis is important because it gives scientists 乐天堂app下载 ability to actually make molecules that are interesting and potentially useful, so that 乐天堂app下载ir properties may be explored and 乐天堂app下载n optimised. So much of modern life is based upon molecules that have useful properties, and this is underpinned by syn乐天堂app下载sis. Even in 乐天堂app下载 21st century we still encounter big problems when trying to make 乐天堂app下载 molecules that we want, so 乐天堂app下载re is much to learn and to improve.

What is your favourite element?

I have always been interested in 乐天堂app下载 transition metals and 乐天堂app下载 application of 乐天堂app下载ir unique reactivity to organic syn乐天堂app下载sis. I have a soft spot for two elements, osmium and iridium, that are extremely useful to organic chemists and which have underpinned much of our research over 乐天堂app下载 years. Interestingly, both of 乐天堂app下载se elements were first isolated by Smithson Tennant.