Alex Speed

Education

• BSc, Dalhousie
• PhD, Harvard
• PDF, Boston College

Research Interests:

Research in the Speed group focuses on the boundary of synthetic organic chemistry and main-group chemistry. Synthesis is the building up more complex molecules from simpler ones. We specialize in catalyst design, including asymmetric catalysis, and the chemistry of heterocycles (ring-shaped molecules that contain atoms other than carbon). Many transformations we target involve the synthesis or transformation of nitrogen-containing compounds, and sulfur-containing heterocycles. These structural motifs are of immense importance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Our catalysts contain non-metallic main-group elements such as boron or phosphorus, often surrounded by unusual ligands to promote the desired reactivity. Frequently, preparation of the catalysts we investigate has required development of new strategies in main-group chemistry. Many processes under investigation in our group also involve unpaired electrons and photoexcitation, but again with a focus on main-group chemistry.

Selected Awards and Honours:      

• Canadian Journal of Chemistry “Best Paper Award” for 2022 
• Dalhousie Chemistry “Professor of the Year” 2020
• Thieme Chemistry Journal Awardee for 2017
• First Place Graduate Poster in Organic Division, 94^th CSC Conference
• Roche Excellence in Chemistry Award
• NSERC PGS-D Fellowship
• NSERC Julie Payette Graduate Fellowship
• Dalhousie University Silver Medal 2006
• Sepracor Award, Best Overall Oral Presentation at 2006 APICS Chemistry Conference
• Dalhousie Chancellor’s Scholarship 2002-2006

Selected Publications:

• Riley, Robert D.; Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Bamford, Karlee L.; Speed, Alexander W. H.* “Diazaphospholene-Catalyzed Radical Reactions from Aryl Halides.” Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2022, e202204088.
• Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Speed, Alexander W. H.* “Room-temperature reduction of sulfur hexafluoride with metal phosphides.”  Chem. Commun. 2021, 57, 7128–7131.
• Welsh, Erin N.; Robertson, Katherine N.; Speed, Alexander W. H. "Short Synthesis of 1-Substituted Dibenzothiophene Derivatives." Org. Biomol. Chem. 2021, 19, 2000–2007.
• Speed, Alexander W. H. "Applications of diazaphospholene hydrides in chemical catalysis." Chem. Soc. Rev. 2020, 49, 8335–8353.
• Lundrigan, Travis; Welsh, Erin N.; Hynes, Toren; Tien, Chieh-Hung; Adams, Matt R.; Roy, Kayelani, R.; Robertson Katherine, N.; Speed, Alexander, W. H. "Enantioselective Imine Reduction Catalyzed by Phosphenium Ions." J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 14083–14088.
• Hynes, Toren; Welsh, Erin N.; McDonald, Robert, Ferguson, Michael J.; Speed, Alexander W. H.  "Pyridine Hydroboration with a Diazaphospholene Precatalyst." Organometallics 2018, 37, 841–844.
• Adams, Matt R.; Tien, Chieh Hung; Huchenski, Blake S. N.; Ferguson, Michael J.; Speed, Alexander W. H. "Diazaphospholene Precatalysts for Imine and Conjugate Reductions." Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2017, 56, 6268–6271.