"Brilliant scientist" wins 2010 AkzoNobel Science Award
An internationally renowned Dutch scientist responsible for several major advances in polymer and organic chemistry has won the 2010 AkzoNobel Science Award.
Distinguished professor Bert Meijer, from Eindhoven University of Technology, was conferred the honor after the jury cited his numerous achievements in materials science and polymer chemistry. These have included introducing patented technology which led to the development of the first nano-container (also called the dendritic box), and the synthesis and development of supramolecular polymers.
"Bert Meijer is a highly motivated, creative and versatile scientist with a real feeling for science at the highest level and for finding innovative applications for materials developed in his laboratory," stated the judging panel in its consideration. "He is an enterprising and brilliant scientist who gives inspiring leadership to innovative, cutting-edge scientific research with clear practical relevance."
Meijer was the first scientist able to translate the idea of a supramolecular polymer into a viable product with polymer-like properties. This discovery led to a patent in 1997 and later to the foundation of start-up company SupraPolix, which commercializes new materials based on these concepts.
Among his most remarkable organic constructs are the ureidopyrimidinone-based supramolecular polymers, where the monomers are held together by four hydrogen bonds. This research work caused a worldwide revolution in this particular branch of science. Meijer and his team also studied other non-covalent interactions, such as the pi-pi interactions between large organic molecules carrying long hydrocarbon chains. His current interest lies in the numerous possibilites of complex molecular systems, where multiple components interact to arrive at novel functional properties.
Meijer will officially receive the 2010 AkzoNobel Science Award and the accompanying €50,000 prize at a ceremony being held on October 7 at the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities in Haarlem.
The AkzoNobel Science Awards are presented annually in recognition of outstanding scientific contributions by individuals in the fields of chemistry and materials science.
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Topic world Synthesis
Chemical synthesis is at the heart of modern chemistry and enables the targeted production of molecules with specific properties. By combining starting materials in defined reaction conditions, chemists can create a wide range of compounds, from simple molecules to complex active ingredients.
Topic world Synthesis
Chemical synthesis is at the heart of modern chemistry and enables the targeted production of molecules with specific properties. By combining starting materials in defined reaction conditions, chemists can create a wide range of compounds, from simple molecules to complex active ingredients.
