Palladium-Catalyzed Organic Synthesis: Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Richard Frederick Heck (1931–2015)

Dear Colleagues,

Molecules is pleased to announce a commemorative Special Issue dedicated to Professor Richard Frederick Heck, for his outstanding contribution in the field of palladium-catalyzed organic synthesis.

Born in Springfield, Massachussets, Heck received his PhD from the University of California, and, after post-doc experiences at the ETH in Zurich and at the University of California, Heck in 1971 became Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Delaware. He worked at the University of Delaware until 1989, when he retired and became Emeritus Professor at the same University.

It is difficult to overemphasize the importance of the work of Professor Heck in the field of metal-catalyzed organic synthesis field, which led to the development of the palladium-catalyzed coupling between aryl halides with alkenes, known as the Mizoroki-Heck reaction or, more simply, as Heck reaction. This process is currently one of the most valuable methods in organic synthesis for the production of high-value added compounds starting from simple building blocks under catalytic conditions.

For his contribution in the field of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions, Heck received many awards, including the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, jointly with Professor Ei-ichi Negishi and Professor Akira Suzuki.

This commemorative Special Issue is dedicated on one hand to emphasize Prof. Heck's pioneer contribution to palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions in organic synthesis, and, on the other hand, to inspire more innovative ideas in the general field of palladium-catalyzed organic processes. Submission of previously unpublished manuscripts, both original researches and reviews, from leading scientists in the field are welcomed.

We plan to receive submissions from May, 2017 to the end of November, 2017. Manuscripts will be published on an ongoing basis after being processed.

Prof. Dr. Bartolo Gabriele
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• Catalysis
• Cross-coupling Reactions
• Homogeneous Catalysis
• Organopalladium Chemistry
• Palladium-Catalyzed Organic Synthesis