Howard Alper

Howard Alper is a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa. He holds academic positions including office D'Iorio 402 and can be reached at howard.alper@uottawa.ca. His research focuses on metal-catalyzed organic reactions, particularly in oxidation, reduction, carbonylation, and cyclization processes applicable to pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Key areas include ionic liquids as solvents, dendrimer-metal complexes for recyclable catalysis, and asymmetric synthesis of compounds like β-lactams and heterocyclic systems.

Alper's research highlights include pioneering work on palladium-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions of heterocumulenes, dendrimer-anchored catalysts for hydroformylation, and chemoselective aminocarbonylation methods. His studies on regioselective alkoxycarbonylation and oxidative carbonylation have advanced synthetic methodologies for complex organic molecules. Collaborations involve exploring novel reaction mechanisms and catalyst designs.

Notable contributions include the development of magnetically separable nanoparticle catalysts and investigations into redox-neutral allylation reactions combining palladium and photoredox catalysis. His work emphasizes both fundamental catalytic mechanisms and industrial applications, bridging academic research with practical synthesis challenges.