The Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) has awarded Rice University’s Julian West the Grammaticakis-Neumann Prize, a biennial global honor that recognizes a young scientist for groundbreaking achievements in experimental or theoretical photochemistry.
West was recognized for his research in harnessing free radical intermediates through inner sphere photocatalysis, enabling innovative reactions previously considered unattainable. His work holds significant implications for advancing organic synthesis and creating tools that drive the development of next-generation therapeutics and materials.
“This recognition underscores the power of using photochemistry to solve longstanding challenges in organic synthesis and catalysis,” said West, assistant professor of chemistry at Rice. “It’s an honor to contribute to a field that directly impacts medicine, materials and sustainability.”
West’s research group focuses on transforming simple starting materials into functional molecules through novel catalytic systems. A key objective of his lab is designing reactions that are not only powerful but also sustainable, leveraging Earth-abundant elements and unconventional mechanisms. West’s lab has used photochemistry to make notable strides in catalytic alkene functionalization, including hydrofluoro alkylation and diazidation.
“Light has been a key ingredient for turning on new mechanisms of catalysis,” West said. “These mechanisms have allowed us to deliver first-in-class reactions that empower the synthetic community.”
Before joining Rice’s faculty in 2019, West was a Resnick and National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology from 2017-19, where he developed sustainable electrocatalytic reactions for synthesizing bioactive molecules. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of British Columbia and master’s and doctoral degrees in chemistry from Princeton University.
The Grammaticakis-Neumann Prize will be presented at the SCS Fall Meeting Sept. 4, 2025, at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. The honor includes a certificate and prize of 5,000 Swiss francs or about $5,600.