Eric Block

Professor Block was the first professor at the University at Albany honored as the Carla Rizzo Delray Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, holding that title until becoming Professor Emeritus in 2018. Professor Block is a pioneer in multiple areas of chemistry including the chemistry of olfaction, organochalcogenide chemistry, and natural product synthesis and characterization. His internationally renowned research has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship (1984), the ACS Kenneth A. Spencer Award (2003), Election as an AAAS Fellow (2013), and the ACS Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products (2016), among many others. Professor Block has published more than 300 articles and books, and remains an active researcher, speaker, and traveler.

Publications:

A list of Professor Block's publications can be found here.
 

Research Interests:

• Chemistry of olfaction -- the sense of smell
• Allium chemistry (organosulfur and organoselenium chemistry of garlic, onion, and other genus Allium plants)
• Natural products chemistry including isolation, characterization and total synthesis
• Organosulfur and organoselenium chemistry; bio-organic chemistry
• Organic synthesis
• Organic photochemistry
• Heteroatom and heterocyclic chemistry
• Small ring chemistry
• Chemistry of 1,2-dithiins and other 1,2-dichalcogenins