Biography
Alan completed BSc (1979) and PhD (1982) degrees at the University of Edinburgh, the latter on pyrolysis of cyclic sulfones with Dr Ian Gosney and Prof. John Cadogan. From 1982-84 he was a Fulbright postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Albert I. Meyers at Colorado State University, Fort Collins. In October 1984 he came to St Andrews as a Royal Society Warren Research Fellow and has been successively Lecturer (1989), Senior Lecturer (1997), Reader (2018) and Professor (2024) in organic chemistry, becoming Emeritus in 2026. During his time in St Andrews, Alan has spent a period on sabbatical at the University of Texas, Austin (1994), been a Teaching Fellow at the University of Hong Kong (1999) and had short spells as Visiting Professor at Kuwait University (2002) and the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad (2012). He has had a prominent role in Health and Safety, acting as the University Chemical Hazards Adviser continuously since 1990 and chairing the University Health and Safety Committee 2001-2003. He has been School Safety Coordinator for Chemistry 1985-1993, 1994-2003 and 2016-2021, and also edited the weekly School Newsletter from 2003-2026. He was Chairman of the Tayside Local Section, Royal Society of Chemistry 1991-94 and 2011-17. Much of his research activity has been in the area of heterocyclic chemistry and he has been active in the International Society of Heterocyclic Chemistry, attending all but two of their biennial congresses since 1985, contributing an annual review chapter to Progress in Heterocyclic Chemistry since 1990 and being an elected member of their International Advisory Committee 1997-99 and 2011-17. Since 2018 he has been a member of the Executive Committee and Publicity Chair for ISHC and currently maintains their web site (https://ishc.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk) in St Andrews.
Research areas
Synthetic and mechanistic organic chemistry including heterocyclic chemistry, synthetic use of flash vacuum pyrolysis, asymmetric synthesis, reactive intermediates, organophosphorus and organosulfur chemistry
For more information see the RAA Group Website: http://chemistry.st-and.ac.uk/staff/raa/group/
Selected publications
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Open access
Generation, spectroscopic characterisation and cycloaddition reactions of 1,3-benzoxazin-4-one (benzo[e][1,3]oxazin-4-one)
Aitken, R. A., Cordes, D. B., McKay, A. P., Moreau, D. & Scheu-Rodriguez, A. P., 1 Sept 2026, In: Tetrahedron. 197, 9 p., 135311.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Unexpected formation of benzo[b]pyran-2,4-dione-3-ylides by thermal SNAr cyclisation of fluorinated α-benzoyl(alkoxycarbonyl)methylenetriphenylphosphoranes
Aitken, R. A., Cordes, D. B., McKay, A. P. & Osmund, J. A., 1 Nov 2026, In: Tetrahedron. 199, 8 p., 135397.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
2-(Difluoroboryloxy)benzamide
Aitken, R. A., Akkache, H. E. M., Cordes, D. B., McKay, A. P. & Moreau, D., 20 Nov 2025, In: Molbank. 2025, 4, 6 p., M2093.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
[3+2] Cycloaddition to a chiral 5-methylene-1,3-dioxolan-4-one and pyrolysis of the spiro adducts
Aitken, R. A., Power, L. A. & Slawin, A. M. Z., 10 Mar 2025, In: Molecules. 30, 6, 12 p., 1246.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Elucidation of some reactions of methyl 3-(benzyl(2-hydoxyethyl)amino)propionate using NMR
Aitken, R. A. & Hunt, J. D. D., 15 Jan 2025, In: Journal of Molecular Structure. 1328, 6 p., 141411.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Five-membered ring systems: with O and S (Se, Te) atoms
Aitken, R. A., 2 Dec 2025, Progress in heterocyclic chemistry. Aitken, R. A. & Lopchuk, J. M. (eds.). Amsterdam: Elsevier, Vol. 37. p. 309-323 15 p. (Progress in heterocyclic chemistry; vol. 33).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Open access
(E,E)-1,5-Diethoxy-1,5-diphenylpenta-1,4-dien-3-one
Aitken, R. A., Cordes, D. B., Kennett, V. & McKay, A., 28 Mar 2025, In: Molbank. 2025, 2, 5 p., M1986.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
N,N'-Di(p-tolyl)-1,4-benzoquinonediimine (N,N'-Di-p-tolylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-diimine)
Aitken, R. A., Bascombe, R. & Slawin, A. M. Z., 1 Dec 2025, In: Molbank. 2025, 4, 6 p., M2089.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Ketenimines and their P, As, Sb and Bi analogues
Aitken, R. A., 12 Nov 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) Comprehensive organic functional group transformations III. Molander, G. A. (ed.). 3rd ed. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Vol. 3.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Progress in heterocyclic chemistry
Aitken, R. A. (Editor) & Lopchuk, J. M. (Editor), 8 Nov 2025, Amsterdam: Elsevier (incl. Pergamon ). 635 p. (Progress in heterocyclic chemistry; vol. 37)Research output: Book/Report › Book