Stephen Fletcher

Stephen Fletcher is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford, Department of Chemistry. His research group focuses on synthesis, catalysis, and mechanistic studies, particularly in developing new catalytic asymmetric carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions. They aim to rapidly access complex molecules from simple starting materials, with applications in the synthesis of clinically used drugs and natural products. Fletcher studied chemistry at Mount Allison University and obtained a PhD from the University of Alberta. He was a NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Groningen and worked with Jonathan Clayden at the University of Manchester before joining Oxford in 2009. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2018 and is affiliated with Keble College. His research interests include catalysis, stereochemistry, and complex dynamic systems. He has received the 2023 Royal Society of Chemistry, Merck Sharp & Dohme Prize.

Stephen Fletcher is a researcher at the University of Oxford with expertise in chirality, asymmetric catalysis, synthesis, autocatalysis, and systems chemistry. His work explores the conversion of light into macroscopic helical motion, molecular rotary motors, and the transmission of chirality across scales. Fletcher investigates mechanisms of autocatalysis and develops methods for asymmetric halogenation of olefins. His research also includes molecular machines for catalysis and the synthesis of chiral compounds through tandem reactions and dynamic kinetic asymmetric allylic alkylation. He has contributed to the study of non-stabilized nucleophiles and catalytic asymmetric carbon-carbon bond formation. His work emphasizes the design of chemically fueled self-replicators and autonomously oscillating systems.