| RefNo | EC/1990/22 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Kroto, Sir Harold Walter: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1986 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | Professor Kroto has made distinguished contributions to molecular spectroscopy. Microwave spectroscopy, in synergistic combination with photoelectron spectroscopy, has been developed to characterise many novel, unstable molecules including he discovery of phosphaalkenes, and the production of phosphalkynes, sulphidoborons, thiocarbonyls, etc. An important, if incidental, result of these researches has been the international development of the chemistry of the organophosphorus molecules as ligands for transition metals.
Kroto initiated a programme which resulted in the remarkable discovery that long carbon chain polyynes (HC5N, HC7N and HC9N) were abundant in space. He played an essential role in the researches which led to the detection and identification of C60 Buckminsterfullerene - the carbon 'football'. That C60 forms spontaneously in carbon vapour has fundamental implications to carbon chemistry and , in particular, to nucleation phenomena in combustion processes.
Kroto's text 'Molecular Rotation Spectra' is an outstanding and original introduction to research in molecular spectroscopy. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA4296 | Kroto; Sir; Harold Walter (1939 - 2016) | 1939 - 2016 |