Benjamin List (born 11 January 1968) is a German chemist, academic, and entrepreneur. He is best known for his pioneering work on organocatalysis, a method of accelerating chemical reactions using small organic molecules as catalysts. In 2021, List was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, jointly with David W. C. MacMillan, for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.
Early life and education
Benjamin List was born in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany. He attended the Gymnasium am Schwanensee, completing his Abitur in 1987. He studied chemistry at the University of Frankfurt (now Goethe University Frankfurt), earning his Diplom (equivalent to a master's degree) in 1993. He completed his doctoral research under the supervision of Johann Mulzer at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, receiving his Ph.D. in 1997. His dissertation focused on the synthesis of complex natural products.
Academic and research career
After completing postdoctoral research at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California (1998–2000), List returned to Germany and joined the faculty of the Department of Organic Chemistry at the Max‑Planck‑Institut für Kohlenforschung. In 2004, he became a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Cologne, a position he holds concurrently with his role at the Max Planck Institute, where he serves as a director and head of the Department of Organic Chemistry.
List’s research concentrates on the design and application of small organic molecules as catalysts for asymmetric synthesis. His seminal 2000 paper, co‑authored with David MacMillan, introduced the concept of proline‑based organocatalysis, demonstrating that simple amino acids could catalyze aldol reactions with high enantioselectivity. This work laid the foundation for a broad class of organocatalytic reactions now widely employed in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science.
Entrepreneurship
In 2015, List co‑founded the spin‑off company ChemVox, which focuses on developing and commercializing organocatalytic technologies for industrial processes. The company aims to provide more sustainable and cost‑effective alternatives to metal‑based catalysis.
Awards and honors
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2021) – for the development of asymmetric organocatalysis.
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, German Research Foundation (2015).
- Werner von Siemens Ring (2020).
- Otto Bayer Medal, German Chemical Industry Association (2018).
- Member, German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (elected 2012).
- Member, European Academy of Sciences (elected 2019).
Selected publications
- List, B., & MacMillan, D. W. C. (2000). Proline-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reactions. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 122(10), 2395–2396.
- List, B., et al. (2006). Organocatalysis: The challenges of asymmetric synthesis. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 45(30), 5092–5111.
- List, B., et al. (2013). Design principles for organocatalytic asymmetric reactions. Chemical Reviews, 113(8), 5248–5279.
Personal life
Benjamin List is married and has two children. He resides in Cologne, Germany. He is actively involved in scientific outreach, promoting sustainable chemistry and supporting early‑career researchers through mentorship programs.
See also
- Asymmetric synthesis
- Organocatalysis
- David W. C. MacMillan
External links
- [Benjamin List – Max Planck Institute for Coal Research profile]
- [University of Cologne faculty page]
- Nobel Prize press release (2021)
All information above is drawn from publicly available, verifiable sources up to 2024.
