A Career in Catalysis: Howard Alper

Still going strong in his seventies, Professor Howard Alper continues to make an impact on chemistry internationally. This Account highlights some of his key scientific achievements in catalysis. What began as a fundamental interest in the chemistry of metal carbonyls and their activity modes, evolved into a versatile program addressing some of the most significant and challenging issues in catalysis. Using well-defined metal carbonyl complexes, he and his lab were able to make fundamental insights into diverse transformations involving the catalytic properties of metal carbonyls, including carbonylative ring expansions. His creative and truly interdisciplinary research in catalysis has also resulted in notable contributions to carbonylation, hydrofunctionalization, and cycloaddition chemistry.