Henri B. Kagan

Henri B. Kagan is currently an Emeritus Professor at the Université Paris-Sud in France. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt in 1930.

He graduated from the Sorbonne and École nationale supérieure de chimie de Paris and carried out his PhD under J. Jacques at the Collège de France. Subsequently he was a research associate with A. Horeau. He then moved to Université Paris-Sud, Orsay where he is presently emeritus Professor.

He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of asymmetric catalysis. His discoveries have had far-reaching impacts on the pharmaceutical industry.

In 2001 controversy was caused when Kagan was not given the Nobel prize which had been shared by K. Barry Sharpless of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, Ryoji Noyori of Nagoya University, Japan, and William Knowles, formerly of Monsanto in St Louis, Missouri, for work on catalytic asymmetric synthesis. It was thought that as Kagan was one of the pioneers of the field he too should have been honoured. However, as the prize can be given to a maximum of three people he was left off. [ [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v414/n6861/full/414239b0.html Nature article on Nobel controversy] ]

Dr Kagan is a member of the French Academy of Sciences and has won many awards in the field including: [ [http://www.fi.edu/winners/2005/kagan_henri.faw?winner_id=4388 Frankin Laureate Citation] ]
Silver Medal of the French National Scientific Research Center, Prelog Medal, August-Wihelm-von Hoffman Medal, Nagoya Medal of Organic Chemistry, Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Grand Prix de la Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, JSPS Award for Eminent Scientists, Ryoji Noyori Prize

References

* [http://www.tetrahedron-symposium.elsevier.com/biog/kagan.htm Short biography of Kagan]
*cite journal
author = Henri B. Kagan, Dang-Tuan-Phat
title = Asymmetric catalytic reduction with transition metal complexes. I. Catalytic system of rhodium(I) with (-)-2,3-0-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane, a new chiral diphosphine
journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society
volume = 94
issue = 18
year = 1972
doi = 10.1021/ja00773a028
pages = 6429–6433
*cite journal
author = Henri B. Kagan, Olivier Riant
title = Catalytic asymmetric Diels Alder reactions
journal = Chemical Reviews
volume = 92
issue = 5
year = 1992
doi = 10.1021/cr00013a013
pages = 1007–1019
*cite journal
author = P. Girard, J. L. Namy, and H. B. Kagan
title = Divalent lanthanide derivatives in organic synthesis. 1. Mild preparation of samarium iodide and ytterbium iodide and their use as reducing or coupling agents
journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society
volume = 102
issue = 8
year = 1980
doi = 10.1021/ja00528a029
pages = 2693–2698
*cite journal
author = H. B. Kagan and J. L. Namy
title = Lanthanides in organic synthesis
journal = Tetrahedron
volume = 42
issue = 24
year = 1986
doi = 10.1016/S0040-4020(01)82098-6
pages = 6573–6614