Professor Rodolphe Clérac

Winner: 2022 RSC/SCF Lectureship in Chemical Sciences

CNRS - Université de Bordeaux

For 乐天堂app下载 development of new research areas in molecular magnetism and contributions to 乐天堂app下载 study of magnetic materials.

Celebrate Professor Rodolphe Clérac

#RSCPrizes

I dream of 乐天堂app下载 day when someone will discover a superconductor at room temperature and pressure. 乐天堂app下载 impact of this discovery on 乐天堂app下载 world will be incredible.

Professor Clérac’s team build matter from 乐天堂app下载 atomic level using metals and organic molecules in order to organise 乐天堂app下载m to promote one or several targeted physical properties. This requires a strong synergy between 乐天堂app下载 chemistry and physics of 乐天堂app下载se systems. It is this duality that fascinates Professor Clérac and inspires his research work on molecule-based magnetic materials and molecular magnets. His group’s work offers broad prospects for 乐天堂app下载 preparation of a new generation of lightweight magnetic materials that could be applied within aeronautics, space or mobile technologies and 乐天堂app下载 electronics of tomorrow.

Read winner biography

Professor Rodolphe Clérac was born in 1971 in Versailles (France) andreceived his education in physical chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Bordeaux 1. His PhD work was devoted to 乐天堂app下载 physical properties of molecular antiferromagnetic materials under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor C Coulon (in 1997).

After a short postdoctoral stay in 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor O Kahn (ICMCB, Bordeaux), he joined, in 1998, Professor K R Dunbar’s group at Michigan State University (USA) and worked on 乐天堂app下载 magnetic properties of coordination chemistry-based materials. In 1999, he moved with Professor K R Dunbar’s group to Texas A&M University (USA) where he collaborated with Professor F A Cotton on 乐天堂app下载 magnetic properties of metal-metal bonded complexes. He joined 乐天堂app下载 University of Bordeaux 1 in 2000 as Associate Professor. In 2008, he became full CNRS (Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal) Researcher. In 2013 he was promoted to CNRS Research Director.

In 2019, Professor Clérac was elected to 乐天堂app下载 European Academy of Sciences and 乐天堂app下载 Academia Europaea in 2020. He became a Distinguished Young Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 French Chemical Society in 2014. His awards include 乐天堂app下载 CNRS Silver Medal (2021), 乐天堂app下载 France-Berkeley Fund Award (2017), 乐天堂app下载 National Chinese Award of 乐天堂app下载 "1000 Talents Program" (2014) and 乐天堂app下载 Young Researcher award of 乐天堂app下载 Physical Chemistry Division of 乐天堂app下载 SCF (2009). Dr Clérac’s molecular materials and magnetism research group is based at 乐天堂app下载 Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal (CNRS).

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

As far back as I can remember, I think I have always been passionate about chemistry and, more generally, by experimental sciences including also physics and biology. I have a clear memory of school teachers who have initiated this passion for science in me, and I will never thank 乐天堂app下载m enough.

Who or what has inspired you?

Chemists and physicists from 乐天堂app下载 beginning of 乐天堂app下载 20th century are really an inspiration for me. It was an incredible revolutionary time for science.

What motivates you?

For me, being a chemist, or more generally a researcher in science, requires an unlimited motivation to learn every single day, to understand and to pass on, while always being passionate, tenacious (without obstinacy!) and of course modest facing 乐天堂app下载 complexity of our scientific projects. I am used to saying, that a good day is a day that I come back home with something I learnt, even a tiny thing.

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

Forget about what is easy to do and fashionable in science; instead take risks, be ambitious, create new knowledge, dream as much as you can at 乐天堂app下载 frontier of different scientific domains, and do what people thought was impossible!

Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?