Citation | Professor Davies is distinguished for his contributions in several interconnected fields of organic and organometallic chemistry. His pioneering studies on the synthesis and mechanisms of reaction of organic peroxides greatly increased knowledge of this important class of compounds. He also prepared the first organometallic peroxides of most of the main group elements, and established their reaction patterns. He discovered the reactions involving bimolecular homolytic substitutions at a metal centre, developed the e.s.r. techniques for identification of the radicals generated, and applied these techniques very fruitfully in extensive studies of neutral free radicals. His recent studies of electron transfer chemistry have yielded many new types of radical anions and cations, and have led to the first identification by e.s.r. spectroscopy of the radical cations of many simple organic pi systems in fluid solution. He has also made many important contributions in several branches of main group organometallic chemistry: especially noteworthy are his pioneering observations on reactions of organotin alkoxides with unsaturated organic compounds, which have enabled understanding of several important industrial processes and are finding increasing application in organic synthesis. |