Thorsten Bach

Schools and Universities

1971-1975	Grundschule, Rödersheim-Gronau
1975-1983	Kurfürst-Ruprecht-Gymnasium, Neustadt/Wstr.
1983-1988	Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg
1987-1988	University of Southern California, Los Angeles
1988-1991	Philipps-Universität, Marburg/Lahn
1991-1992	Harvard University, Cambridge MA

 

Scientific Background

 

09/87-07/88 Diploma Thesis (Prof. Dr. G.A. Olah)

Friedel-Crafts silylation reactions of aromatic compounds (benzene, toluene, ferrocene) in the presence of proton scavengers; redistribution reactions on chlorosilanes under Lewis acid catalysis; silyl transfer to ferrocenes; NMR-studies of silylated aromatics in super acids.

10/88-07/91 Ph.D. Thesis (Prof. Dr. M.T. Reetz)

Design of chiral Lewis acids for catalytic enantioselective C-C bond forming reactions (Diels-Alder reaction, Mukaiyama aldol reaction, formation of cyanohydrins with TMSCN); organometallic chemistry of cationic iron complexes; preparation of new covalent iron tin compounds; coordination chemistry of zinc containing peptide complexes.

08/91-07/92 Postdoctoral Work (Prof. Dr. D.A. Evans)

Convergent total synthesis of diphthine; Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions (Heck-, Stille-, Hagihara-, Negishi-type coupling) of histidine derivatives; selective C(2)-functionalisation of protected histidines; reactions of imidazole heterocycles (metallation, electrophilic substitution, halogenation); preparation of functionalized alkylzinc reagents.

09/92-11/96 Habilitation (Prof. Dr. D. Hoppe)

Stereoselective C-C bond formation by photochemical reactions; Paternó-Büchi reactions of functionalized alkenes; regioselective ring opening of oxetanes; application of this methodology to the synthesis of natural products; new catalytic reactions.

01/97- Current Research Interests

Photochemistry: Enantioselective photochemical reactions in solution; deracemization by chiral sensitizers; photochemical activation of small molecules; design and development of new UV-A absorbers, fluorophores, and dyes; catalysis of photochemical reactions by Lewis acids and Cu salts; inter- and intramolecular photocycloaddition reactions of enones and arenes.

Synthesis: Total synthesis of natural products (polyketides, alkaloids, terpenes, peptides) and of biologically active compounds (antibiotics, antipsychotics, im-munosuppressants, anticancer agents); elucidation of structure-activity relation-ships by synthesis; lead discovery in collaboration with industrial and academic partners.

Catalysis: Regioselective Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions on heterocycles; new catalytic methods for stereoselective nitrogen transfer; development and synthesis of new chiral ligands; stereoselectivity of reactions involving carbenium ions as intermediates; C-H activation reactions at sp³ and sp² centers; hydrogen bond-directed transition metal catalysis.

Scholarships and Awards

04/84-08/88	Begabtenstipendium Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, St. Augustin
08/87-07/88	Auslandsstipendium Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, St. Augustin
08/87	Dr. Sophie-Bernthsen-Preis, Dr. Sophie-Bernthsen-Stiftung, Heidelberg
04/88-10/88	Graduate Fellowship, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
10/88-12/88	Graduiertenkolleg-Stipendium, GK 'Metallorganische Chemie', Marburg
01/89-12/90	Kekulé-Stipendium, Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt/Main
07/91	Studienabschluß-Stipendium, Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt/Main
08/91-07/92	NATO-Stipendium, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Bonn
03/96	ADUC-Jahrespreis für Habilitanden 1995
05/96	Visiting Professorship, University of Helsinki, Center for International Mobility, Helsinki
03/97	Dozentenstipendium Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, Frankfurt/Main
11/99	Visiting Professorship at Kyoto University, Kyoto University Foundation
11/01	AstraZeneca Research Award, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park
05/03	Novartis Lectureship, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel
12/03	Novartis European Young Investigator Award, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel
04/06	Elected Member of the German Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, Halle (Saale)
06/06	Degussa Award for Chirality in Chemistry, Degussa AG, Düsseldorf
02/09	Elected Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, München
08/14	Reinhart Koselleck Project, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn
10/14	Honda-Fujishima Lectureship, Japanese Photochemistry Association (JPA)
05/15	ERC Advanced Grant, European Research Council, Brussels
03/16	JSPS Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
04/16	Jerome A. Berson Lecture, Yale University, New Haven
03/17	Horst Pracejus Price, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)
09/18	Emil Fischer Medal, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh)
09/19	Victor J. Chambers Lectureship, Rochester (NY)
03/20	Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn
09/22	Theodor Förster Memorial Lectureship, Photochemistry Section of the GDCh
08/23	Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
10/23	Adolf Lieben Lectureship, Austrian Chemical Society (GÖCh)
06/24	ERC Advanced Grant, European Research Council, Brussels
10/24	Hilmar Johannes Backer Lecture, University of Groningen, Groningen

 

Work Experience

02/84-04/84	Industriepraktikum, BASF AG, Ludwigshafen/Rhein
04/88-10/88	Research Assistant, University of Southern California, Los Angeles
01/91-08/91	Research Assistant, Philipps-Universität, Marburg
09/92-08/93	Research Assistant, Wilhelms-Universität, Münster
09/93-12/96	Assistant Professor, Wilhelms-Universität, Münster
01/97-03/00	Associate Professor (C 3), Philipps-Universität Marburg
04/00-	Full Professor (C 4/ W3), Technische Universität München
07/00-	Regional Editor Synthesis
01/10-	Affiliated Member Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München
07/21-	Spokesperson, Collaborative Research Center 325, DFG
01/24-	Scientific Co-Director, Catalysis Research Center, Technische Universität München

 

Memberships

01/86-	Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker
09/88-	Chemische Gesellschaft zu Heidelberg
01/97-	Deutscher Hochschullehrerverband
01/99-	American Chemical Society
06/02-	Hans-Fischer-Gesellschaft e.V.