Editor's Page pubs.acs.org/Organometallics
Award-Winning Organometallic Chemistry: The Year 2012 Israel Prize Organometallics seeks to recognize chemists who have been honored by chemical societies, agencies, or comparable bodies for advancing organometallic chemistry, as reflected by an extensive series of Editor’s Pages and “Award Articles” over the last 1.5 years.1 These missives have taken us to many nations, and this issue constitutes the second to profile an Israeli organometallic chemist.2 The Israel Prize (Hebrew: ) is the highest honor conferred by the State of Israel.3 Up to four Prizes are awarded each year in a rotating series of disciplines. The Israeli President, Prime Minister, Knesset, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court all participate in the award ceremony, the most recent of which was held on April 26, 2012 (Israel Independence Day). The recipients receive honoraria of 75 000 Sheqels, or ca. $20 000. We are delighted that this year a friend known to all of us, Prof. David Milstein of the Weizmann Institute of Science, was awarded an Israel Prize (see Figures 1 and 2). David has been a trailblazer in many areas of organometallic chemistry but is probably best known for the many new vistas he has opened up in pincer chemistry. His laudatio, loosely translated from the original Hebrew, reads as follows: “Prof. David Milstein has made pioneering discoveries in catalysis, has developed new methods for the activation of chemically inert compounds, and has generated fundamental understanding of the interactions of organic molecules with metals. His work has led to the discovery of unprecedented reactions efficiently catalyzed by metal complexes, including environmentally benign and sustainable energy-related processes. He has educated a generation of students, several of whom are faculty members in leading academic institutions in Israel and abroad.” Prof. Milstein has received many other honors, such as the year 2007 ACS Award in Organometallic Chemistry, and has published 51 papers in Organometallics. A full paper that details
Figure 2. Prof. David Milstein being congratulated by the Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu. The President of Israel, Mr. Shimon Peres, stands to the left.
Figure 3. Prof. David Milstein following his ascent of a peak in Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado, USA).
some of the achievements that led to his award follow, and a biographical sketch is featured therein. David, we offer you our heart-felt congratulations on the occasion of your Israel Prize and express our appreciation for all you have done for organometallic chemistry. We know that you will continue to surprise us with unexpected chemistry that
Figure 1. Prof. David Milstein being presented the Israel Prize by the Israeli Minister of Education, Mr. Gideon Sa’ar. © 2012 American Chemical Society
Published: June 11, 2012 4081
dx.doi.org/10.1021/om3004465 | Organometallics 2012, 31, 4081−4082
Organometallics
Editor's Page
opens up new reactivity modes and opportunities for catalysis. As illustrated in Figure 3, you climb mountains in both literal and figurative senses, and we trust that your honorarium will help support the necessary “hiking boots” for both types of endeavors.
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John A. Gladysz, Editor-in-Chief REFERENCES
(1) Previous Editor’s Page in this series: Gladysz, J. A. Organometallics 2012, 31, 3815. (2) Gladysz, J. A. Organometallics 2011, 30, 4801. (3) Official web site (in Hebrew): http://www.education.gov.il/prasisrael/.
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/om3004465 | Organometallics 2012, 31, 4081−4082
