Harold Kroto

Harold Kroto was a pioneering British chemist whose collaborative work led to the discovery of a new form of carbon, the fullerene, a breakthrough that revolutionized nanotechnology and materials science. For this fundamental discovery, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996 alongside Robert Curl and Richard Smalley. Throughout his distinguished career at the University of Sussex and later at Florida State University, Kroto was also a passionate advocate for science education and public engagement, founding the Vega Science Trust to produce educational programming. His scientific legacy is cemented by the Copley Medal and a knighthood, alongside his enduring influence on the field of nanoscience.

Early life and education

Born in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, to parents who were refugees from Nazi Germany, he was raised in Bolton, Lancashire. His early fascination with Meccano sets and chemistry kits, combined with the inspiration of a gifted schoolteacher, set him on a scientific path. He pursued higher education at the University of Sheffield, where he earned a first-class degree in chemistry in 1961 and subsequently a PhD in 1964 for research on free radicals under the supervision of Richard Dixon. His postdoctoral work took him to the National Research Council of Canada and Bell Laboratories in the United States, where he honed his expertise in microwave spectroscopy and the chemistry of unstable molecules in space.

Discovery of fullerenes

The pivotal moment in his career came in 1985 during a visiting professorship at Rice University in Houston, where he collaborated with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley. Using a sophisticated apparatus designed for cluster chemistry research, they vaporized graphite with a powerful laser and discovered a remarkably stable molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms. They proposed a structure resembling a soccer ball, a truncated icosahedron, which they named buckminsterfullerene after the architect Buckminster Fuller due to its resemblance to his geodesic dome designs. This discovery, published in the journal Nature, unveiled the third major form of carbon after graphite and diamond, and opened the entirely new field of fullerene chemistry.

Academic career and research

He spent the majority of his academic career as a professor at the University of Sussex, where he led a prolific research group. His work extended beyond fullerenes to include pioneering studies in spectroscopy, the chemistry of carbon clusters, and the search for carbon chains in the interstellar medium. A dedicated communicator, he co-founded the Vega Science Trust to create high-quality science films for BBC television. In 2004, he moved to Florida State University as the Francis Eppes Professor, continuing his research and educational outreach until his retirement. His later work often focused on the societal implications of science and the importance of scientific literacy.

Awards and honors

The discovery of fullerenes was recognized with the highest scientific accolades. In 1996, he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley. That same year, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II. His other major honors include the Royal Society of Chemistry's Longstaff Prize, the International Prize for New Materials from the American Physical Society, and the prestigious Copley Medal from the Royal Society in 2004. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1990 and received numerous honorary degrees from institutions worldwide, including the University of Sheffield and the University of Hull.

Personal life and legacy

He was married to Margaret Henrietta Hunter, and the couple had two sons. An accomplished graphic designer, he even designed the Nobel Prize medal for the Royal Society of Chemistry. He was a vocal critic of pseudoscience and a staunch supporter of humanism, serving as a distinguished supporter of the British Humanist Association. His legacy endures not only in the vast scientific field spawned by fullerenes—impacting nanotechnology, medicine, and electronics—but also in his unwavering commitment to public education. The Kroto Research Campus at the University of Sheffield and the Kroto Science Education Centre at Florida State University stand as testaments to his dual passions for discovery and dissemination of knowledge.

Category:British chemists Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry Category:1939 births Category:2016 deaths