Linceo Prize for Chemistry Awarded to Paolo Melchiorre

Paolo Melchiorre, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Department of Industrial Chemistry “Toso Montanari” of the University of Bologna, has been awarded the Linceo Prize for Chemistry for his contribution to the discovery, development, and mechanistic understanding of essential organocatalytic, photocatalytic, and photochemical processes in both fundamental and applied research. The prestigious recognition was presented by Giorgio Parisi, Vice President of the Accademia dei Lincei and Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2021, in the presence of the President of the Republic, during the closing of the 2023-2024 Academic Year of the Accademia, in Rome.

Professor Melchiorre's studies, according to the motivations, have played a decisive role in the field of enantioselective aminocatalysis, offering original and effective solutions for the stereocontrolled synthesis of molecules of great interest. His research group also harnesses the energy of visible light to initiate organic transformations that cannot be achieved with traditional thermal protocols, thus offering a solution to unresolved problems in synthetic chemistry.

In his research activity, Melchiorre develops efficient and environmentally friendly organocatalytic and photochemical methods, destined to find wide application in modern organic chemistry. He has contributed to advancements in the field of asymmetric organocatalysis, particularly in the study and use of enantiopure, safe, and low-cost amino-catalysts for the enantioselective functionalization of carbonyl compounds, via enamine and iminium ion activation.

His research has created promising and innovative opportunities in organic chemistry, profoundly influencing other fields of modern research, such as photochemistry, catalysis, and biology.