Student Carlijn van Beek wins KNCV Golden Master Award

Carlijn van Beek has won the 2021 Golden Master Award for her Master’s thesis. She is Master’s student in Chemistry at the University of Groningen (UG). The award has been granted by the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV) since 2009, and comprises a certificate and €1000 in prize money. Carlijn was presented with the award during the national Avond van de Chemie (Evening of Chemistry).

In the award’s finals, she competed with two other Master’s students: Stef Jansen from Eindhoven University of Technology and Hannah Weijgertze from Utrecht University.

Creating complex molecules for medicine and other applications faster

Carlijn’s research and master thesis is entitled ‘Towards Introducing a High Level of Complexity by Combining Asymmetric Allylic Alkylation and Cyclisation’. In this study, Carlijn combined two methods for making molecules with multiple chiral centres. It is usually very time-consuming to make these molecules, but Carlijn’s method only involves two steps to make the molecules in a controlled manner. This provides fast and easy access to highly complex molecules with multiple chiral centres that are relevant for applications in medicine, natural product synthesis, and catalysis.

KNCV awards

The KNCV is the Dutch professional association for chemists, life scientists, and process technologists and has existed since 1903. The approximately 8,500 members are active in the business world, the education sector, and in government.

One of the goals of the KNCV is to discover young, talented chemists and to encourage them to contribute to the world of tomorrow. They achieve this by, among other things, granting awards such as the KNCV Golden Master Award and the Gouden Medaille (Golden Medal).