About the ISOM
The International Symposium on Olefin Metathesis and Related Reactions (ISOM) is a biennial international symposium that brings together scientists from all over the world to discuss the latest advances in olefin metathesis and related reactions. About 150 to 200 academic participants usually take part in this meeting. Representatives from chemical and pharmaceutical companies are also actively involved in the programme, which covers all the aspects of olefin metathesis and related reactions from fundamental research to industrial applications, with both homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts based on early and late transition metals.
Distinguished speakers are invited as guest lecturers to contribute to the high scientific level of the symposium and to unveil the latest advances in olefin metathesis and related reactions. The event is also intended for early-career professionals, postdoctoral fellows, and Ph.D. students who appreciate this great opportunity to present their research as oral communications or as posters, and to share their experience and know-how with fellow researchers. Because ISOM is run in a single-session format (no parallel sessions), and talks are followed by ample discussion time to spark inspiration and interaction, it is a unique opportunity to foster contacts with academic or industrial colleagues and to discuss the various facets of olefin metathesis in a stimulating yet relaxed atmosphere.
Historically, the idea of bringing together chemists and engineers for debating on a reaction that was still poorly understood at that time came from Hartwig Höcker who organized the first ISOM as a two-day gathering held at the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany in January 1976. Since then, this international meeting has remained the most important forum for the olefin metathesis community worldwide. Over the years, it has become a regular and eagerly anticipated event that takes place every two years, with only a brief hiatus in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
Previous Editions of ISOM
| Edition | Year | Chairperson(s) | Location |
| 24 | 2023 | Vidar Jensen, Deryn Fogg | Bergen, Norway |
| 23 | 2019 | Xavier Solans-Monfort | Barcelona, Spain |
| 22 | 2017 | Christophe Copéret | Zürich, Switzerland |
| 21 | 2015 | Christian Slugovc | Graz, Austria |
| 20 | 2013 | Kasushi Mashima | Nara, Japan |
| 19 | 2011 | Christian Bruneau | Rennes, France |
| 18 | 2009 | Michael Buchmeiser | Leipzig, Germany |
| 17 | 2007 | Robert H. Grubbs | Pasadena, California, USA |
| 16 | 2005 | Bogdan Marciniec | Poznan, Poland |
| 15 | 2003 | Toshio Masuda | Kyoto, Japan |
| 14 | 2001 | Richard R. Schrock, Amir H. Hoveyda | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
| 13 | 1999 | Gerard van Koten | Kerkrade, The Netherlands |
| 12 | 1997 | Kenneth B. Wagener | Saint Augustine, Florida, USA |
| 11 | 1995 | W. James Feast | Durham, United Kingdom |
| 10 | 1993 | Lajos Bencze | Veszprem, Hungary |
| 9 | 1991 | Andrea E. Martin | Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA |
| 8 | 1989 | Hans-Ludwig Krauss | Bayreuth, Germany |
| 7 | 1987 | Allan Ellison | Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom |
| 6 | 1985 | Emma Thorn-Csányi | Hamburg, Germany |
| 5 | 1983 | Klaus Hummel | Graz, Austria |
| 4 | 1981 | Kenneth J. Ivin | Belfast, United Kingdom |
| 3 | 1979 | Jean-Marie Basset | Lyon, France |
| 2 | 1977 | Cornelis Boelhouwer | Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| 1 | 1976 | Hartwig Höcker | Mainz, Germany |