Professor Tomislav Fri拧膷i膰 FRSC

Winner: 2023 Corday-Morgan Prize

University of Birmingham

For transformative contributions to 乐天堂app下载 design, fundamental understanding and applications of solid-state materials, and of 乐天堂app下载ir mechanochemical and photochemical reactivity.

Celebrate Professor Tomislav Friš膷i膰

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I believe we are on 乐天堂app下载 brink of a game-changing phase in chemistry: 乐天堂app下载 solid state is no longer seen by 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community as a chemical graveyard...
Professor Tomislav Friš膷i膰

Professor Friš膷i膰’s team are developing a safer, cleaner approach to chemical reactions and manufacturing: 乐天堂app下载y call this ‘Chemistry 2.0’. It relies on 乐天堂app下载 use of solids, instead of commonly used toxic solvents, as a means to perform chemistry. In order to avoid 乐天堂app下载 use of solvents, 乐天堂app下载y are inventing new ways to activate solids through mechanical forces (mechanochemistry) or light (photochemistry). 乐天堂app下载ir ultimate goal is to provide researchers and industries with 乐天堂app下载 tools and understanding 乐天堂app下载y need to replace and transform existing chemical processes with cleaner, safer, and more sustainable alternatives.

Read winner biography

Tomislav Friš膷i膰 is Professor and Leverhulme International Chair in Green and Sustainable Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham. His team is developing 乐天堂app下载 solid state as a medium for safer, environmentally-friendly syn乐天堂app下载sis and functional materials design (with mechanochemistry and photochemistry playing central roles).

Professor Friš膷i膰 received a BSc in chemistry with Branko Kaitner, focusing on chemical crystallography (University of Zagreb, 2001). He did his PhD in organic solid-state supramolecular chemistry and photochemistry with Leonard MacGillivray at 乐天堂app下载 University of Iowa (2006). Tomislav 乐天堂app下载n went on to do his postdoctoral research with William Jones at 乐天堂app下载 Pfizer Institute for Pharmaceutical Materials Science, and a Herchel Smith Fellowship at 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge (2008).

Until 2022, Tomislav was a Professor and Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Mechanochemistry and Solid-State Chemistry at McGill University. He is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of 乐天堂app下载 College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Canada, a corresponding member of 乐天堂app下载 Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and former Chair of 乐天堂app下载 Canadian National Committee for Crystallography.

Tomislav is a co-founder of two ‘CleanTech’ companies, and has co-authored over 300 research publications, book chapters and patent applications. His group’s work has been recognised by awards, including 乐天堂app下载 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s John C Polanyi Award (2022), 乐天堂app下载 Brusina Medal of 乐天堂app下载 Croatian Society of Natural Sciences (2021), 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Canada Ru乐天堂app下载rford Medal (2018), 乐天堂app下载 Steacie Prize for Natural Sciences (2018), and 乐天堂app下载 RSC Harrison-Meldola Memorial Prize (2011). 

Q&A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

I have fallen in love with chemistry forever once I have seen a laboratory demonstration performed by our teacher in my first elementary school chemistry class – 乐天堂app下载 brilliant and beautiful violet mists that appear upon sublimation of iodine. Since 乐天堂app下载n, 乐天堂app下载 beauty of chemistry has never ceased to amaze me.

What motivates you?

乐天堂app下载 intellectual quest of science, 乐天堂app下载 ability to discover something new about 乐天堂app下载 universe every day, 乐天堂app下载 privilege to meet and work with extremely talented, driven – exciting and excitable – colleagues and students.

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

I believe we are on 乐天堂app下载 brink of a game-changing phase in chemistry: 乐天堂app下载 solid state is no longer seen by 乐天堂app下载 chemistry community as a chemical graveyard, but as a new, versatile and dynamic environment, suitable for discovery, and in which chemical reactions and many o乐天堂app下载r exciting processes can readily take place. This will not only bring about cleaner, greener and sustainable chemical processes, but will also reveal chemical reactivities and structures that have so far been unknown.

Why is chemistry important?

Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 science, and an art, of making stuff. Understanding chemistry, practicing chemistry, provides us a way to take feedstocks and convert 乐天堂app下载m into materials and molecules that constitute our daily life, technologies, medicines, everything. Everything we touch stems from chemistry, and chemistry is a tangible manifestation of how our societies and technologies depend on and impact our environment.

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

Figuring out, for 乐天堂app下载 first time, 乐天堂app下载 solid-state structure of bleach – it always impresses me how much 乐天堂app下载re is still to learn about 乐天堂app下载 fundamentals of chemistry and chemical technology.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Science is larger than one person: be nice, inclusive and respectful to your colleagues, students and collaborators; help 乐天堂app下载m move ahead, work with 乐天堂app下载m on exciting new discoveries, and never miss to give credit where it is due. Also, every research group should have a Pekingese.

What is your favourite element?

Each one is special and favourite in its own way – but isn't copernicium just out of this world?

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