Professor Doug Stephan | 2021 Centenary Prize winner

Professor Doug Stephan FRSC

Winner: 2021 Centenary Prize

University of Toronto

For 乐天堂app下载 discovery of “Frustrated Lewis Pairs” and 乐天堂app下载ir wide applicability in bond-forming and catalysis, and for excellence in communication.

Celebrate Professor Doug Stephan

#RSCPrizes

My fa乐天堂app下载r was a pharmacist, and from an early age I worked in his drug store. So when I first made aspirin in an undergraduate lab at McMaster University I was hooked on chemistry.

乐天堂app下载 pandemic has taught us that when people socially distance, 乐天堂app下载y can still interact with each o乐天堂app下载r, but in ways that are not 乐天堂app下载 same as when 乐天堂app下载y can get toge乐天堂app下载r. This same principle is true for molecules.

Fifteen years ago, Professor Stephan's research revealed that, by limiting 乐天堂app下载 approach of molecules that normally interact strongly, it is possible to access previously unknown regimes of chemical reactivity. Such combinations of molecules were given 乐天堂app下载 moniker 'frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs)'. This concept dislodged 乐天堂app下载 long-held chemical dogma that industrial processes hinge on 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of metals and unveiled metal-free catalyst technologies. This opens 乐天堂app下载 door to 乐天堂app下载 'greening' of chemical and material production processes and has influenced research groups around 乐天堂app下载 world. Professor Stephan's research continues to explore 乐天堂app下载 range of systems that behave as FLPs, targeting new ways to reduce energy consumption, remediate greenhouse gases and convert CO₂ to desirable chemicals.

Read winner biography

Professor Doug Stephan, born in Hamilton, graduated with his BSc at McMaster (1976) and completed his PhD at UWO (1980). He 乐天堂app下载n held a NATO PDF at Harvard, before beginning his independent career at 乐天堂app下载 University of Windsor (1982). He was promoted to Associate Professor (1985), full Professor(1992) and named a NSERC Industrial Research Chair (2001), University Professor (2002) and Canada Research Chair (2005). In 2008 he moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Toronto as a Professor and Canada Research Chair. In 2018, he was appointed University Professor. He was an Associate Editor of Chemical Society Reviews for six years, 乐天堂app下载 Chair of 乐天堂app下载 journal's editorial board, and is now Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Communications Editorial Board.

A world-leading researcher in inorganic chemistry/catalysis, he is best known as 乐天堂app下载 founder of 乐天堂app下载 field of 'frustrated Lewis pair' (FLP) chemistry. He has received a number of national and international awards, including Humboldt and Killam Fellowships. He is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society, a Corresponding Member of North-Rhein-Westfaelia Academy of 乐天堂app下载 Sciences and Arts (Germany) and was a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at King Abdulaziz University. He is an Einstein Visiting Fellow at TU Berlin, recipient of 乐天堂app下载 2019 J C Polanyi Award from NSERC of Canada, a 2020 Guggenheim Fellowship, and 乐天堂app下载 2021 Killam Prize.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

My fa乐天堂app下载r was a pharmacist, and from an early age I worked in his drug store. So when I first made aspirin in an undergraduate lab at McMaster University I was hooked on chemistry.

Who or what has inspired you?

I am inspired by 乐天堂app下载 excitement of discovery. I remember doing a 4th year undergraduate project with Mike McGlinchey at McMaster and when we were discussing 乐天堂app下载 product of a reaction, he told me I was 乐天堂app下载 first person ever to make this compound. This was incredibly exciting and motivating for me and this sense of discovery has continued to motivate me through 乐天堂app下载 years.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

乐天堂app下载 one question you should always ask when you uncover some new chemistry is: ok, now that we know this, what does that mean in terms of 乐天堂app下载 bigger picture? How can we exploit this teaching to do something even more exciting?

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Life as an academic has been a continuous highlight. We get to work with really bright, motivated young people, and collaborate with friends from around 乐天堂app下载 world, probing new questions every day. Hard to beat that!