Research

Research Priorities: Chemical synthesis of reactive molecules, metal-free catalysis, chemistry of stable carbenes

Guy Bertrand is a French chemist, who achieved significant progress with the synthesis of very reactive molecules. His research group combined an experimental approach with quantum-mechanical calculations to draft new compounds. With those, the scientist addresses the high cost and the toxicity of transition metal complexes that are widely utilized in catalysis today.

Already in 1988, Guy Bertrand achieved a tremendous scientific accomplishment: the discovery of the first stable carbene, a phosphino-silyl-carbene, where the carbene is stabilized by neighbouring phosphorus and silicon atoms. Carbenes are instable and highly reactive compounds of bivalent carbon. Guy Bertrand’s model substance propelled the chemistry of carbenes from the margins into an active field of research.

Guy Bertrand made numerous pathbreaking discoveries that propelled the understanding of carbenes. During the synthesis of novel substances, his team prepared unusual compounds, whose electronical structure, stability, and reactivity was subsequently quantum-chemically calculated. A comparison of the determined qualities with experimental observations enabled the scientist to optimize their models. Thus, the researchers were able to synthesize substances with characteristics that hitherto only transition metals displayed. Because those compounds are expensive and often toxic, the new carbenes enabled less problematic applications in many fields.

The chemist works in numerous ways to employ the possibilities of chemistry to face current challenges – be it in medicine, energy generation, or with environmental problems.

Career

• since 2012 Distinguished Professor, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), USA
• 2001-2012 Distinguished Professor, University of California (UCR), Riverside, USA
• 1999-2005 Director, Laboratoire Heterochimie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
• 1988-1998 Research Director, Laboratoire de chimie de coordination (LCC-CNRS), Toulouse, France
• 1981-1988 CNRS (National Committee for Evaluation of the French Research () Researcher, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
• 1980-1981 Research Associate, Sanofi-Recherche Company, Toulouse, France
• 1979 PhD, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
• since 1975 CNRS Researcher, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
• 1975 Degree in Engineering, École nationale supérieure de chimie de Montpellier (ENSC), Montpellier, France
• Functions in Scientific Societies and Committees
• since 2010 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Chemistry Letters
• since 2010 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Chemical Science (Chem.Sci)
• since 2010 Member, Editorial Advisory Board, Nature Communications
• since 2010 Co-Editor, Chemical Reviews (Chem.Rev.)
• 2009 Adhoc Member, Study Section “Synthetic and Biological Chemistry” (SBCB), National Institute of Health (NIH), USA
• since 2006 Member, Editorial Board, Chemistry – An Asian Journal
• 2005 Adhoc Member, SBCB, NIH, USA
• since 2002 Member, Editorial Board, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry
• 1999-2010 Regional Editor, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry
• 1999-2002 Member, CNRS, France
• since 1999 Member, American Chemical Society (ACS), USA
• since 1998 Member, Editorial Board, Comptes rendus de l’Académie de Sciences
• 1996 - 2005 Member, Editorial Board, Topics in Stereochemistry
• since 1989 Member, Editorial Board, Chemical Reviews
• since 1989 Member, Editorial Board, Heteroatom Chemistry

Projects

• since 2012 Director, UCSD-CNRS Joint Research Laboratory, University of California San Diego, San Diego (UCSD), USA
• 2001-2012 Director, UCSD-CNRS Joint Research Laboratory, University of California Riverside, Riverside, USA
• 2000-2001 Member, Conseil Scientifique du département Sciences Chimiques, CNRS, France
• 1999-2003 Member, Comité National d’Evaluation de la Recherche (CNER)

Honours and Memberships

• since 2023 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 2022-2023 Fellow, Hagler Institute for Advanced Study, Texas A&M University, Houston, USA
• 2020 Grand Prix de la Maison de la Chimie, Fondation de la Maison de la Chimie, Paris, France
• 2017 Sacconi Medal, Italian Chemical Society, Italy
• 2016 Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Award, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), UK
• 2015 Senior Humboldt Research Award, Re-Invitation, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany
• 2014  ACS Inorganic Chemistry Award, ACS, USA
• 2013 Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, Légion d’honneur (Legion of Honor), France
• 2010 Grand Prix Le Bel, French Chemical Society (SCF), France
• 2009-2010 Sir Ronald Nyholm Lectureship, Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), UK
• since 2006 Fellow, American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), USA
• seit 2004 Member, French Académie des sciences, France
• since 2003 Member, European Academy of Sciences (EURASC)
• since 2002 Member, Academia Europea
• since 2000 Member, Académie des technologies, Paris, France
• 1998 Médaille d'Argent, CNRS, Paris, France
• 1994 German-French Humboldt-Research Award, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Bonn, Germany