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KNCV Backer Prize

KNCV Backer Prize

Each year, the section awards the KNCV Backer Prize for the best organic chemistry dissertation of the past year. The prize money amounts to €2,500.

The prize was established by four alumni of the University of Groningen: Prof. E.J.R. Sudholter, Prof. E.W. Meijer, Prof. B.L. Feringa, and Prof. H. Hiemstra. They named the prize after Prof. H.J. Backer, who served as professor of organic chemistry at the University of Groningen from 1916 until his retirement. He passed away in 1959. The Backer Fund, from which the prize money is awarded annually, was established using the professor’s bequest and co-sponsorship from the KNCV.

Winner of the 2024 KNCV Backer Prize

María de Lourdes Guadalupe Sansores Paredes

For her dissertation titled “Metal-ligand cooperativity at nickel p-complexes for the stabilization of reactive intermediates and hydrogenation catalysis.”

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Winners of the KNCV Backer Prize

2021 - dr Mira Holzheimer

For her dissertation, “On the Total Synthesis of Archaeal and Mycobacterial Natural Products.”

2020 - dr Thomas Hansen

For his dissertation, “Glycosyl Cations in Glycosylation Reactions.”

2019 - dr Kananat Naksomboon

For her dissertation, “Bidentate ligand-promoted Palladium-catalyzed C-H olefination of aromatic compounds.”

2018 - dr. Michael Lerch

For his dissertation titled “DASA Donor-Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts.”

2017 - dr. Albert Wong

For his dissertation titled “Synthesis of Out-of-Equilibrium Reaction Networks.”

2016 - dr. Mu-Chieh Chang

For his dissertation titled “Formazanate as a Redox-Active, Structurally Versatile Ligand Platform.”

2015 - dr. Massimo Giannerini

For his dissertation titled “Advancing selectivity control with highly reactive organometallic reagents.”

2014 - dr. Lianne Willems

For her dissertation titled “Direct and Two-Step Activity-Based Profiling of Proteases and Glycosidases.”

2013 - dr. Danny Geerdink

For his dissertation, “Total Synthesis of Enantiopure Lipids on Mycobacterial Glycolipids and a Putative Sex Pheromone of Trichogramma turkestanica.”

2012 - dr. Marthe Walvoort

For her dissertation, “On the Reactivity and Selectivity of Donor Glycosides in Glycochemistry and Glycobiology.”

2011 - dr. Dennis Waalboer

For his dissertation, “Synthetic Studies on Terpene Natural Products.”

2010 - dr. Wim Noorduin

For his dissertation, “Single Chirality Through Crystal Grinding.”

2009 - dr. Martin Witte

For his dissertation titled “Activity-based profiling of glycoconjugate processing enzymes.”

2008 - dr. Hans de Boer

For his dissertation titled “Cis-dihydroxylation and epoxidation of alkenes by manganese catalysts: selectivity, reactivity, and mechanism.”

2007 - dr. Robin Bon

For his dissertation titled “Development and Application of Novel Multicomponent Reactions Using α-Acidic Isocyanides.”

2006 - dr. Rienk Eelkema

For his dissertation titled “Liquid Crystals as Amplifiers of Molecular Chirality.”