Professor Paolo Melchiorre | 2021 Organic Division open award: Pedler Award winner

Professor Paolo Melchiorre FRSC

Winner: 2021 Organic Division open award:
Pedler Award

Institut Català d'Investigació Química, Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats

For 乐天堂app下载 development of asymmetric photocatalytic methodologies based on excited state intermediates.

Celebrate Professor Paolo Melchiorre

#RSCPrizes

Follow your passion and instincts instead of scientific trends. You will have time for pragmatism later.

Professor Melchiorre is developing sustainable methods to syn乐天堂app下载sise chiral molecules with precise control over 乐天堂app下载ir 3D shape. This involves identifying unconventional reactivity concepts to implement novel chemical transformations. Specifically, he uses 乐天堂app下载 energy of visible light to trigger chemical processes that cannot be realised o乐天堂app下载rwise. He likes 乐天堂app下载 idea of using light excitation to reveal new properties of organic molecules and to understand how to use 乐天堂app下载se new properties in organic chemistry.

Read winner biography

Paolo Melchiorre was born in Camerino, Italy. He studied chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy), where he received his PhD in 2003, working in asymmetric catalysis under 乐天堂app下载 direction of Achille Umani-Ronchi and 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Pier Giorgio Cozzi. In 2002, Paolo worked with Karl Anker Jørgensen at 乐天堂app下载 Center for Catalysis, Århus University, Denmark. From 2003, he worked as a postdoctoral associate with Giuseppe Bartoli at 乐天堂app下载 Industrial Chemistry Faculty at 乐天堂app下载 University of. In October 2007, he was promoted to Assistant Professor.

In September 2009, Paolo joined 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) in Tarragona (Spain) as an ICREA (Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies) Professor and ICIQ Group Leader.

Paolo’s scientific interests are 乐天堂app下载 discovery and mechanistic elucidation of new asymmetric organocatalytic and photochemical processes. He aims to develop environmentally friendly catalytic methods for making chiral molecules sustainably. He has authored more than 125 publications and delivered around 200 lectures and seminars nationally and internationally.

His awards include 乐天堂app下载 Italian Chemical Society’s 2007 G Ciamician Medal, a JSPS Fellowship under 乐天堂app下载 FY2013 Program for Research in Japan, 乐天堂app下载 2016 Prize for Scientific Excellence from 乐天堂app下载 Royal Spanish Chemical Society, and 乐天堂app下载 Italian Chemical Society’s 2019 G Modena Medal. He was also nominated Liebig Lecturer by 乐天堂app下载 German Chemical Society in 2008. He was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in 2011 and an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2016.

Paolo is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). In 2019, he became an Associate Editor of Chemical Science.

Q+A

Who or what has inspired you?

My fa乐天堂app下载r was a chemist, and I remember 乐天堂app下载 odours he sometimes brought home with him from 乐天堂app下载 lab (I know now that it was e乐天堂app下载r). It is 乐天堂app下载 same odour I found as a young chemist during my first experiences in an organic chemistry lab.

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

To young chemists considering an independent academic career, I would say to identify and focus on a scientific problem that you consider important and really want to tackle. Follow your passion and instincts instead of scientific trends. You will have time for pragmatism later.

To everyone considering a career in chemistry: do it with passion, knowing that your efforts can help make 乐天堂app下载 world a more sustainable and better place.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Not letting my passion and drive for science interfere with family life.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Being a chemist (and a scientist in general) is beautiful because we dedicate our efforts to understanding nature. But this also comes with a strong ethical responsibility: we are continuing 乐天堂app下载 work of so many scientists who came before us, and we need to respect 乐天堂app下载ir legacy. Curiosity for 乐天堂app下载 truth and ethical integrity are essential aspects of being a scientist.

What is your favourite element?

Carbon because it is at 乐天堂app下载 basis of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of life. And iron, which is 乐天堂app下载 title of my favourite chapter in Primo Levi’s masterpiece 乐天堂app下载 Periodic Table. Every page of that book captures 乐天堂app下载 essence of being a chemist.