Warren Roper (chemist)

Warren Roper (born 1938) is a New Zealand chemist specializing in organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. He is Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Roper received his BSc (1960) and MSc (1961) degrees from the University of Otago, New Zealand, and his PhD (1964) from the University of Cambridge, UK. After postdoctoral work at Harvard University, he returned to New Zealand, joining the faculty at the University of Auckland in 1966.

His research has focused on the synthesis, structure, and reactivity of organometallic complexes, particularly those containing carbonyl, phosphine, and cyclopentadienyl ligands. A significant portion of his work explores the application of these complexes in homogeneous catalysis for reactions such as alkene oligomerization and carbon-carbon bond formation. He is particularly known for his contributions to the understanding of hydroformylation using rhodium-based catalysts.

Roper is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a recipient of the Hector Medal, the highest award bestowed by the Royal Society Te Apārangi. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and presented at numerous international conferences.