2023 Environment, Sustainability and Energy open Prize: Environment Prize Winner
Professor Stuart Taylor, Cardiff University
Awarded for pioneering work on the discovery of catalysts that have been commercialised for environmental protection, including carbon monoxide oxidation catalysts for critical life support applications.
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction, but it is not consumed in the reaction. They are critical in our modern lives, and it is estimated that at least 80% of manufactured goods require a catalyst somewhere in their production. Catalysis is a key technology that will be required to address many of the challenges we face, such as energy security, clean water and air, as well as addressing sustainability by developing new ways of making essential raw materials from renewable resources.
Professor Taylor’s work has focused on developing preparation approaches to solid catalysts, delivering a fundamental understanding of catalytic processes. Understanding the relationships between catalyst structure and their performance has driven the rational design of new catalysts, delivering impact across the important areas of energy, sustainability, green chemistry, and environmental protection. In particular, research has shaped environmental catalysis for life support and atmospheric emission control, including the development of highly active catalysts used in confined environments, like submarines and safe havens in mines, to remove toxic carbon monoxide and save lives.
Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
2022 | Professor Arthur Ragauskas FRSC | Oak Ridge National Laboratory and University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Awarded for pioneering several widely used tools and approaches in biorefining, including the mechanistic understanding of lignin conversion chemistry. |
2021 | Professor Chunying Chen | National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China | Awarded for pioneering contributions in exploration of the nano–bio interface, providing fundamental insights into the fate of nanomaterials in biota and the environment. |
2019 | Professor Barbara J Finlayson-Pitts | University of California, Irvine | Awarded for groundbreaking research revealing new processes in the formation of photochemical air pollution and establishing the molecular basis of reactions occurring at environmental interfaces. |
2017 | Professor Dwayne Heard | University of Leeds | Awarded for outstanding contributions to understanding the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere through measurements of the hydroxyl radical, and impacts on the international societal response to deteriorating air quality and changing climate. |
2015 | Professor Roy Harrison | University of Birmingham | Awarded for sustained and significant innovations in the application of analytical chemistry to air pollution and environmental health. |
2013 |
Professor Michael Wasielewski | Northwestern University | Awarded for his pioneering contributions to the field of artificial photosynthesis for solar energy conversion. |
2011 |
James Clark | University of York | Awarded for fundamental and applied research contributions to the areas of green chemistry, clean technology and sustainability and for educational, publishing and public awareness contributions in the green chemistry area. |
2009 |
James Durrant | Imperial College London | Awarded for his world-leading photochemical studies of solar energy conversion. |
Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for the modern world
This report is the result of an independent review of our recognition programmes. Our aim in commissioning this review was to ensure that our recognition portfolio continues to deliver the maximum impact for chemical scientists, chemistry and society.