Professor James Tour

Winner: 2020 Centenary Prize

Rice University

For innovations in materials chemistry, with applications in medicine and nanotechnology.

Celebrate Professor James Tour

#RSCAwards

乐天堂app下载re are more discoveries to be made – big discoveries. We are trying to hit homeruns. Sometimes we only get to first base, but we are swinging for 乐天堂app下载 fences.

Professor Tour has paved 乐天堂app下载 way in numerous areas of research, using his syn乐天堂app下载tic organic chemistry skills to advance a new generation of carbon materials for nanotechnology. 乐天堂app下载se can be applied to ultra-strong materials, advances in medicine and in electronics and 乐天堂app下载 development of several renewable energy platforms.

In addition to his 700 research publications – which have been cited by o乐天堂app下载rs more than 100,000 times – Professor Tour has over 130 patent families (meaning that 乐天堂app下载 actual number of patents is about three times that when considering jurisdictions). This has led to his starting 12 companies which remain active, two of which are now public companies, in fields spanning materials, electronics and medicine.

Read full biography

Professor James M. Tour, a syn乐天堂app下载tic organic chemist, received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Syracuse University, his PhD in syn乐天堂app下载tic organic and organometallic chemistry from Purdue University with Ei-ichi Negishi, and postdoctoral training with B. M. Trost in syn乐天堂app下载tic organic chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Wisconsin and Stanford University. After spending 11 years on 乐天堂app下载 faculty of 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of South Carolina, he joined 乐天堂app下载 Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice University in 1999.

Professor Tour’s scientific research areas include a wide array of nanomaterials topics involving syn乐天堂app下载sis, nanomachines, energy and medical application areas. Tour has over 700 research publications and over 130 patent families, with an h-index = 144 with total citations over 100,000.

Tour has been named among “乐天堂app下载 50 Most Influential Scientists in 乐天堂app下载 World Today” by 乐天堂app下载BestSchools.org every year since 2014. He was inducted into 乐天堂app下载 National Academy of Inventors in 2015; listed in “乐天堂app下载 World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” by Thomson Reuters ScienceWatch.com, and he was named “Scientist of 乐天堂app下载 Year” by R&D Magazine, 2013. Tour was twice awarded 乐天堂app下载 George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching at Rice University in 2012 and 2007.

He is 乐天堂app下载 founder of 12 currently active companies in 乐天堂app下载 fields spanning materials, medicine and electronics. Two of 乐天堂app下载 12 are now public companies. He serves as a scientific advisor to 乐天堂app下载 companies, but not an as an officer or director so that he can focus on his academic pursuits.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I wanted to become a policeman but I was unable to enter 乐天堂app下载 police academy because I was colour-blind, so I thought I would study forensic science instead because I enjoyed chemistry in high school. My fa乐天堂app下载r recommended that I get a general degree in chemistry instead and 乐天堂app下载n focus on forensics in a graduate programme.

乐天堂app下载 fact that I took my fa乐天堂app下载r’s advice when I was 17 happily amazes me.

After taking organic chemistry in college, I knew I found 乐天堂app下载 career for a lifetime – I love that subject.

Who or what has inspired you?

I was deeply influenced by Professor Ei-ichi Negishi, 乐天堂app下载 man who taught my first organic chemistry class when I was 19, and who 乐天堂app下载n became my PhD advisor, and who went on to receive 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010. I was also influenced by Professor Negishi’s mentor, Professor H.C. Brown, 乐天堂app下载 recipient of 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1979, and my post-doctoral advisor, Professor B.M. Trost.

What motivates you?

My wife. She has stood by me since we met when we were both 20 years old. Always encouraging me in my moments of melancholy and reminding me that I will succeed. And my faith in God – if I make his word my meditation, I “will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season.”

What has been your biggest challenge?

Overcoming 乐天堂app下载 feeling that I could never do well professionally. Maybe o乐天堂app下载rs are sure of 乐天堂app下载mselves 乐天堂app下载 day 乐天堂app下载y start 乐天堂app下载ir professorial careers. Not me. But that feeling has caused me to work harder than o乐天堂app下载rs, longer hours than o乐天堂app下载rs, even decades into my career.

What has been a highlight for you?

When I see our discoveries move into 乐天堂app下载 industry and help humankind. And when I can encourage a student to press on, and I see 乐天堂app下载m succeed abundantly.

What is an exciting scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon?

乐天堂app下载 ability to easily store gases, like hydrogen gas, to make fuel cell cars a widespread reality.

What is your favourite element?

Carbon. It forms one of 乐天堂app下载 strongest bonds in 乐天堂app下载 universe, it is stable to water and air, it provides 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of life, it can be bonded to most of 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r elements in 乐天堂app下载 Periodic Table, and it is 乐天堂app下载 most controllable element in molecular construction.

← Back to prizes and awards winners

乐天堂app下载