2022 Dalton Division early career award: Sir Edward Frankland Fellowship Winner
Dr Ruth Webster, University of Bath
Awarded for outstanding research including mechanistic elucidation of iron-catalysed, atom-efficient transformations of main group elements.
Catalysis is essential for a sustainable future, not least because it enables us to make chemicals in a more environmentally friendly way. Allowing chemical reactions to run faster at a lower temperature makes the preparation of key chemicals easier and more cost efficient. However, there is a growing need to replace precious metals in catalysis (such as ruthenium, rhodium, iridium and palladium) with more readily available base metals (such as iron, titanium and aluminium).
The British Geological Society has listed the platinum group metals as being at severe risk because of their limited supply and the geopolitical issues surrounding them. In order to enable base metals to replace platinum group metals as catalysts, we will need to understand the mechanisms for how these metals behave in reactions. Dr Webster’s research focuses on iron complexes – seeking to understand the mechanisms of their reactions – with a view to using them as catalysts for a variety of applications in the future.
| Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
| 2021 | Dr Jennifer Garden | University of Edinburgh | Awarded for contributions to the advancements in homo- and hetero-metallic catalysis for sustainable polymerisation chemistry. |
| 2019 | Dr Alison Parkin | University of York | Awarded for advancing the understanding of the molecular basis of oxygen tolerance in hydrogenases, relevant to their medical significance. |
| 2017 |
Professor Aidan McDonald | Trinity College Dublin | Awarded for discoveries made towards understanding the reactivity properties of high-valent late transitional metal oxidants, and towards the functionalisation of 2D nanomaterials through simple coordination chemistry techniques. |
| 2015 | Dr Scott Dalgarno | Heriot-Watt University | Awarded for his work in supramolecular coordination chemistry, in particular the synthesis and properties of d-block calixarene compounds with applications in molecular nanomagnetism |
| 2013 | Dr Richard Layfield | University of Manchester | Awarded for his contributions to organometallic chemistry, and in particular, his pioneering work on magnetic studies of organo-lanthanide complexes. |
| 2011 | Dr Stephen Liddle | University of Nottingham | Awarded for his contributions to f-element chemistry. |
| 2009 | Euan Brechin | University of Edinburgh | Awarded for his work on the design, synthesis and properties of metal coordination complexes that enhances our understanding of d-block molecular nanomagnets. |
| 2008/09 | Polly Arnold | University of Edinburgh |
Awarded for her development of new chemistry of the f-elements, especially with carbene ligands. |
| 2006/07 |
Dr Robin B Bedford | University of Bristol | Awarded for his extensive contributions to the understanding of mechanistic chemistry relevant to homogeneous catalysis involving, particularly, C-C bond-forming reactions and C-H bond activation. |
| 2004/05 |
Dr Mike J Hannon | University of Warwick | Awarded for his significant and original contributions to coordination and supramolecular chemistry, including the synthesis of chiral complexes that bond selectively to the major groove of DNA and induce intramolecular coiling. |
| 2002/03 |
Dr M W George | University of Nottingham | |
| 2000/01 |
M D Ward | ||
| 1998/99 |
P Mountford | ||
| 1996/97 | D M O'Hare | ||
| 1994/95 | D W Bruce | ||
| 1992/93 | V C Gibson | ||
| 1990/91 | J D Woollins | ||
| 1988/89 | F G N Cloke | ||
| 1986/87 | M J Winter | ||
| 1984/85 | D J Cole-Hamilton |
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.