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Education

• BSc, Dalhousie
• PhD, Harvard
• PDF, Boston College

Research Interests:

Research in the Speed group focuses on the boundary of synthetic organic chemistry and main-group chemistry. Synthesis is the building up more complex molecules from simpler ones. We specialize in catalyst design, including asymmetric catalysis, and the chemistry of heterocycles (ring-shaped molecules that contain atoms other than carbon). Many transformations we target involve the synthesis or transformation of nitrogen-containing compounds, and sulfur-containing heterocycles. These structural motifs are of immense importance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Our catalysts contain non-metallic main-group elements such as boron or phosphorus, often surrounded by unusual ligands to promote the desired reactivity. Frequently, preparation of the catalysts we investigate has required development of new strategies in main-group chemistry. Many processes under investigation in our group also involve unpaired electrons and photoexcitation, but again with a focus on main-group chemistry.

Selected Awards and Honours:听听听听听听

• Canadian Journal of Chemistry 鈥淏est Paper Award鈥� for 2022听
• 黑料吃瓜网Chemistry 鈥淧rofessor of the Year鈥� 2020
• Thieme Chemistry Journal Awardee for 2017
• First Place Graduate Poster in Organic Division, 94^th听CSC Conference
• Roche Excellence in Chemistry Award
• NSERC PGS-D Fellowship
• NSERC Julie Payette Graduate Fellowship
• 黑料吃瓜网 Silver Medal 2006
• Sepracor Award, Best Overall Oral Presentation at 2006 APICS Chemistry Conference
• 黑料吃瓜网Chancellor鈥檚 Scholarship 2002-2006

Selected Publications:

• Riley, Robert D.; Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Bamford, Karlee L.; Speed, Alexander W. H.* 鈥淒iazaphospholene-Catalyzed Radical Reactions from Aryl Halides.鈥� Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2022, e202204088.
• Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Speed, Alexander W. H.* 鈥淩oom-temperature reduction of sulfur hexafluoride with metal phosphides.鈥澨� Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 7128鈥�7131.
• Welsh, Erin N.; Robertson, Katherine N.; Speed, Alexander W. H. "Short Synthesis of 1-Substituted Dibenzothiophene Derivatives."听Org. Biomol. Chem.听2021,听19, 2000鈥�2007.
• Speed, Alexander W. H. "Applications of diazaphospholene hydrides in chemical catalysis."听Chem. Soc. Rev.听2020,听49, 8335鈥�8353.
• Lundrigan, Travis; Welsh, Erin N.; Hynes, Toren; Tien, Chieh-Hung; Adams, Matt R.; Roy, Kayelani, R.; Robertson Katherine, N.; Speed, Alexander, W. H.听"Enantioselective Imine Reduction Catalyzed by Phosphenium Ions."听J. Am. Chem. Soc.听2019,听141, 14083鈥�14088.
• Hynes, Toren; Welsh, Erin N.; McDonald, Robert, Ferguson, Michael J.; Speed, Alexander W. H. 听"Pyridine Hydroboration with a Diazaphospholene Precatalyst."听Organometallics听2018,听37, 841鈥�844.
• Adams, Matt R.; Tien, Chieh Hung; Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Ferguson, Michael J.; Speed, Alexander W. H. "Diazaphospholene Precatalysts for Imine and Conjugate Reductions."听Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.听2017,听56, 6268鈥�6271.