Background
Pfaltz, Andreas Peter was born on May 10, 1948 in Basel, Switzerland. Son of Carl Rudolf and Renate (Koelliker) Pfaltz.
Organic chemistry educator researcher
Pfaltz, Andreas Peter was born on May 10, 1948 in Basel, Switzerland. Son of Carl Rudolf and Renate (Koelliker) Pfaltz.
Andreas Pfaltz studied at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich, completing his undergraduate Diploma in Natural Sciences in 1972 and his Doctor of Philosophy in Organic Chemistry in 1978.
His doctoral supervisor was Albert Eschenmoser, whose research into vitamin B12 and other corrin rings would influence Pfaltz"s early research. Following a two year postdoctoral position at Columbia University (early 1978 - late 1979), working for Gilbert Stork on the synthesis of Rifamycin, he returned to Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zurich as a lecturer and began his own research. In 1990 he was appointed as an associate Professor at the University of Basel, becoming a full Professor in 1993.
Between 1995 and 1998 he was a director of the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Coal, afterwards returning to the University of Basel, where he has remained till the present day.
Pfaltz"s early research was influenced by his Doctor of Philosophy supervisor Albert Eschenmoser and was largely based around the synthesis of corrins, porphyrins and other macrocycles. During the second half of the 1980s he began to use fragments of these macrocycles as novel ligands for asymmetric catalysis, with chiral C2-symmetric semicorrins being the most successful example.
Following the development of structurally related bis(oxazoline)s Pfaltz began using and developing various oxazoline based ligands, making significant contributions to the known chemistry of phosphinooxazolines. His current research activities remain focused on ligand development, asymmetric catalysis and catalyst screening.
Scientific staff member, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, 1980–1986
Privatdozent (lecturer), Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, 1987–1990
Associate Professor, University of Basel, 1990–1993
Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Basel, 1993–1995
Head of the Homogeneous Catalysis Section, Max Planck Institute for Coal, 1995–1998
Professor of Chemistry, University of Basel, 1999–2015
Professor Emeritus, University of Basel, 2015-present.
Member American Chemical Society, Swiss Chemical Society (Werner prize 1989), German Chemical Society.
Married Madeleine Roth, August 3, 1973. Children: Monique, Katrin, Christoph.