Pierre H. Dixneuf

Pierre H. Dixneuf Professor of Chemistry, CNRS-The University of Rennes, France

Webpage: http://scienceschimiques.univ-rennes1.fr/catalyse/personnels/interface/PHD.htm Pierre H. Dixneuf obtained his doctorate of Science in Rennes (France) with Prof René Dabard, on ferrocene chemistry, and did postdoctoral work as a CNRS researcher on the first steps of N-Heterocyclic Carbene complexes with Michael F. Lappert at the university of Brighton UK. He is Professor in Rennes since 1978. His research interests, at the interface of organometallics and catalysis, included the activation of alkynes and the design of vinylidenes, allenylidenes, indenylidenes and carbon-rich organometallics with bimetallic and then ruthenium complexes. He developed in Rennes a research team on homogeneous catalysis since 1985 and contributed first to the activation of small molecules, the catalytic incorporation of CO2, the synthesis of vinyl carbamates and unsaturated carbonates and carbamates, introduced ruthenium-vinylidenes in catalysis and antiMarkovnikov additions. Then he performed oxidative couplings of unsaturated molecules with electron rich ruthenium catalysts and since 1997 he contributed to alkene metathesis by creating allenylidene-ruthenium catalyst precursors that opened the road to indenylidene-ruthenium catalysts that are efficient in catalytic plant oil transformations. He is currently contributing to inert C-H bond activation/functionalization with stable ruthenium(II) catalysts, developing catalysis in water and the synthesis of polyheterocyclic molecules. He has co-authored more than 420 publications and co-edited 3 books. He obtained several international awards: Humboldt prize for Research 1989, Le Bel SFC award and Grignard-Wittig Prize (GDCh) 2000, Institut universitaire de France membership since 2000, academie des sciences IFP prize and Sacconi medal (Italy) in 2006.