Still
going strong in his seventies, Professor Howard Alper continues
to make an impact on chemistry internationally. This Account highlights
some of his key scientific achievements in catalysis. What began as
a fundamental interest in the chemistry of metal carbonyls and their
activity modes, evolved into a versatile program addressing some of
the most significant and challenging issues in catalysis. Using well-defined
metal carbonyl complexes, he and his lab were able to make fundamental
insights into diverse transformations involving the catalytic properties
of metal carbonyls, including carbonylative ring expansions. His creative
and truly interdisciplinary research in catalysis has also resulted
in notable contributions to carbonylation, hydrofunctionalization,
and cycloaddition chemistry.