Amir H. Hoveyda

Amir H. Hoveyda is an American organic chemist and professor of chemistry at Boston College, and held the position of department chair until 2018.[1] In 2019, he embarked as researcher at the Institute of Science and Supramolecular Engineering at University of Strasbourg.[2]

Amir Hoveyda at the 2007 ACS conference in Boston

Hoveyda received his Ph.D. from Yale University (advisor: Stuart Schreiber) in 1986, and worked as postdoctoral fellow in David A. Evans lab at Harvard University.[1] He received the Cope Scholar award from the American Chemical Society in 1998.

Hoveyda's research focuses on the development for chemoselective and stereoselective catalysis, in particular function-oriented catalyst design. He is particularly noted for his work on developing catalysts for stereoselective olefin metathesis,[3] such as the Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst. In recent years he has worked extensively on copper(I)-N-heterocyclic carbenes complex catalyzed allyl addition, allylic substitution and conjugate addition reactions.[4] His research also involves metal-free catalysis, e.g. catalytic stereoselective allyl addition reactions promoted by chiral aminophenol-derived ligands, as well as bioactive molecules synthesis.