Nobel Laureate, Chemistry Researcher to Lecture at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Robert H. Grubbs, the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and the Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, will visit The University of Alabama to lecture on his ground-breaking research in the area of organic synthesis, known as alkene metathesis.

His public lecture, “Bugs, Windmills, and Victoria’s Secret: Fundamental Science to Commercial Products,” will be held Friday, April 19, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. in room 1004 of Shelby Hall on the UA campus.

The lecture is part of the 2013 Anthony J. Arduengo, III Lecture in Main Group Element and Physical Organic Chemistry and is the inaugural lecture in the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board Nobel Lectureship Series.

Grubbs will also give a technical lecture, “Design and Applications of Selective Metathesis Catalysts,” Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 12:45 p.m. in room 1093 of Shelby Hall.

Grubbs is known for his work in alkene metathesis, a reaction which allows chemists to selectively break certain bonds in molecules and then reassemble the pieces into new molecules. In this way, a molecule can be custom-built with specialized properties. Commercial applications of this method include more efficient preparations of drugs for the treatment of disease and better electrical conducting properties for specialized plastics.

In 1978, Grubbs joined the California Institute of Technology where he began his independent research career by investigating mechanisms of the then obscure reaction called olefin metathesis, which had been reported separately by Giulio Natta (1963 Nobel prize) and researchers at DuPont and Phillips Petroleum. His original research eventually led to commercialization of chemical reactions that provided for more durable baseball bats, ballistic shields and bathroom fixtures and to the commercial preparation of pharmaceuticals and applications in medical diagnostics and materials science.

In addition, Grubbs’ technology enabled the conversion of bulk bio renewable organic compounds into fuels and commodity chemicals. He is now pioneering clever applications of olefin metathesis reactions. His recent investigations include the synthesis of insect pheromones as environmentally-friendly pest control agents, the construction of polymeric vapor sensing devices, and the preparations of customized lenses and treatments for various ocular disorders, biomedical adhesives and thin films, and drug delivery and molecular imaging agents.

A catalyst developed by Grubbs featured characteristics that were similar to those first prepared by Dr. Anthony J. “Bo” Arduengo, III, Saxon Professor of Chemistry at UA. On the faculty since 1999, Arduengo continues to pioneer research in the areas of main group element chemistry, physical and synthetic organic chemistry, unusual valence structures, carbenes, and materials chemistry. These discoveries by both Grubbs and Arduengo have been commercialized and manufacturers have adopted the technologies for a wide range of practical applications.

Grubbs obtained his Bachelor of Science degree and Mater of Science degree from the University of Florida before moving to Columbia University to conduct doctoral research. After earning his doctorate in 1968, he worked as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University. He began his independent research career as a faculty member at Michigan State University. He has been on the faculty of the division of chemistry and chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology since 1978. He also serves as the chair and professor of chemistry at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

He has been honored by numerous professional and academic organizations. In addition to his 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Grubbs has earned the Gold Medal of the American Institute of Chemists in 2010 and the 2011 Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, among many others. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 and named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1994. To date, he has more than 500 publications and more than 115 patents.

The Anthony J. Arduengo, III Lecture in Main Group Element and Physical Organic Chemistry held its inaugural lecture in 2008 and aims to bring to campus top researchers in the fields of main group element and physical organic chemistry to enhance the preparation of future generations of scientists.

The Nobel Laureate Lectureship was established in 2010 by the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board with an initial financial contribution and an annual commitment for its continued support. The Leadership Board consists of some 190 alumni and friends who support the College’s students and faculty with their time, influence and annual member gift.

UA’s department of chemistry is part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the USA Today Academic All American Team.