Lygo wins Process Chemistry award

London -- Professor Barry Lygo of the University of Nottingham has won the 2006 Prize for Process Chemistry for his work on the rational and systematic approach to reagent design and development.

Asymmetric phase transfer catalysis has been the focus of Professor Lygo’s research and he has already discovered a new type of structure that is extremely effective for imine alkylation and works at a much lower catalyst loading. He now receives £12,000, in addition to a trophy, to boost his research funds.

This is the second year of the Process Chemistry award, set up by AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to encourage the development of new chemical reactions that will solve problems in process chemistry.