A Scots Nobel Prize winning chemist has died aged 82.
Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart – a pioneer in the fields of nanoscience and and organic chemistry- died on Monday, December 30.
Born in Edinburgh in 1942, Stoddart received his Bachelor of Science, PhD and DSc degrees from the University of Edinburgh.
In 2016, he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry alongside Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Bernard L. Feringa, “for the design and synthesis of molecular machines”.
At the time of the achievement, he wrote: “I have been immensely privileged to be able to practise my hobby almost every day of my life in the presence of highly intelligent and outstandingly gifted young people.”
Paying tribute to the late Nobel laureate, University vice-president, Professor John Derrick, said: “Sir Fraser Stoddart’s exceptional contribution to science is a source of great pride to us here at the University of Sheffield.
“His groundbreaking research in supramolecular chemistry has not only advanced our understanding of the molecular world but has also inspired generations of scientists.”
Before returning to the UK, he worked in the US and Hong Kong.
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Throughout his colourful career, Stoddart became one of the few chemists to have opened a new field of chemistry during the past 30 years.
He received number of prestigious accolades nationally and internationally, also mentoring a diverse group of more than 500 graduates and postdoctoral students from across the globe.
He was awarded a Royal Medal in 2010 by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, and appointed as a Knight Bachelor in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honours List.
His innovative research into molecular machinery, which is a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair, paved the way for progress in fields like medicine and information technology.
He leaves behind his two daughters, Fiona and Alison, five grandchildren and wife, Norma.
A colleague wrote on social media: “Sir Fraser’s impact on science is immeasurable, and his work will continue to inspire future generations.”
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