2021

KOOP LAMMERTSMA

(The Netherlands) (1949)

Emeritus Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg (South Africa)

Koop Lammertsma is a well-known organophosphorus chemist, founder of a powerful scientific school in the Netherlands.
He contributed to the advancement of the synthetic diversity of organophosphorus chemistry by embedding physical-organic concepts and using quantum mechanical calculations as a guiding tool. He focused on unraveling the chemical properties of reactive
intermediates and controlling their chemical reactivities. Most of his work concerned the carbene-like chemistry of low-valent phosphinidene complexes and their applications toward novel, strained, as well as dynamic organophosphorus compounds. For his research he used
a uniquely integrated synthetic-computational approach. He also contributed to the synthesis of novel organophosphorus ligands for transition metal complexes, the synthesis of P-based frustrated Lewis pairs, revitalized the research on white phosphorus by direct functionalization
to organophosphorus products, and advocated efforts in phosphorus sustainability.
As well he engaged very much in the problematic of using and exploiting phosphorus resources. Due to his activity many politicians became aware of the problem that the natural resources (phosphonate rock) are on the edge of depletion and there is a need to regulate
situation which may have catastrophic consequences.
Nowadays, the rich scientific works of Koop Lammertsma intimately known to every scientist, working in the area of phosphorus chemistry and beyond, and his talented students and followers successfully develop cooperation with chemists from around the world.
Professor Lammertsma is a Member of the Steering Committee of the International Conferences on Phosphorus Chemistry (ICPC), an excellent organizer of scientific forums on phosphorus chemistry including organization of 19 ICPC in Rotterdam and Amsterdam in 2012.
Koop Lammertsma has (co-)authored over 250 scientific publications.