Oluwole Babafemi Familoni is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a Member of the Governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria. Prof Familoni's area of specialization is the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds with physiological activities and natural product chemistry.
He was the Dean of Science between 2008 and 2012. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. Currently, he is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Research) of the University of Lagos. Prof Familoni is a Member of the Advisory Board of the Pan African Chemistry Network (PACN).
His work on natural products has been in the area of providing plants isolation and determination of active components in local herbs to make them available for bio-screening as antioxidants, diabetes, antibacterial and against typhoid. Others are anti-tuberculosis agents, anti-inflammatory antifungals and male fertility enhancers etc.
Prof Familoni has been involved in the synthesis of organic compounds with physiological activities since 1987. His synthesis is mainly sulfur-containing heterocycles. These include: Pyrido[1,2-a]quinoxalinone, thiazolo[4,3-b]quinoxalinone, Isothiazoles, substituted Benzothiazines, Pyridobenzothiadiazines, deoxyjacareubin, Xanthones, Dibenzo[b,f]oxapinone, quinolines etc. Synthetic methods that have been used in the synthesis of some compounds include C-H activation, Baylis Hilman reaction, iminium species, Schiff bases the use of Microwave-Assisted Organic Chemistry (MAOC). A substantial part of his work has been the use of lithio-species in Directed ortho Metalation (DoM).
