Martin F. Semmelhack

Biography

Martin Semmelhack was born (11/19/1941) and grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin (1959-1963) where he was first introduced into organic chemistry research through an undergraduate project in organic photochemistry under Professor Howard Zimmerman. In fall of 1963, he began doctoral research with Professor E. J. Corey at Harvard University in the then-new field of organotransition metal reagents applied in organic synthesis. He left Harvard in spring, 1967, to take up a postdoctoral position as NIH fellow with Professor William S. Johnson at Stanford University. With a team under Johnson, he completed the first synthesis of a natural steroid using the polyolefin cyclization strategy. In the fall of 1968, he began his independent research work as assistant professor at Cornell University. The theme is organic synthesis as a tool, and the projects include efforts to hone the tools (new methodology) and apply the tools (targeted organic synthesis). His early work involved the development of organo-nickel coupling reactions and nucleophile addition to metal-activated aromatic rings, including both mechanistic work and applications in the synthesis of natural products. In a quite unrelated effort, his group prepared spiro[4.4]nonatetraene, one of the first test cases for the subtle effects of spiroconjugation and an example of organic synthesis in the exploration of a basic issue of bonding theory. He was promoted to associate professor in 1973 and full professor in 1977

Research Interest

Synthesis and evaluation of small molecules involved in biological processes