| Citation | Distinguished for his contributions to the co-ordination chemistry of the transition elements especially of the platinum metal group. His initial contributions were concerned with the nature of cyclometallation reactions of metal ions and this has recently been extended to the preparation of some binuclear species. He has also been able to devise synthetic methods for the preparation of stable platinum complexes of the unstable short lived acetylene cyclohexyne. In a series of papers he has described new methods for the generation of -alkyl complexes of the noble metals. His recent work has emphasised the range of compounds formed between ruthenium and aromatic hydrocarbons, and illustrated that some of these compoiunds show activity as hydrogenating catalysts. In these studies he has also been able to stabilise unusual organic species. He has been a leader in advancing our knowledge of the chemistry of the technologically important platinum metals during the last two decades. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. In 1980 he received the Royal Society of Chemistry's award for the Chemistry and Electrochemistry of Transition Metals and in 1991 was the Nyholm Lecturer of the Royal Society of Chemistry. A list of approximately 180 publications is attached. |