Citation | Professor Cloke is internationally recognised for his original contributions to synthetic inorganic and organotransition metal chemistry. He is the acknowledged world leader in the application of synthesis using metal vapours for the bulk scale synthesis of new and thought provoking inorganic molecules. He was the first to show the 5f-block elements could form thermally stable and isolatable zero-valent compounds. Prior to this work zero-valent dare earth metal compounds were not suspected. He has made many other compounds containing elements in unusual or unprecedented oxidation states which challenge the accepted limits of chemical bonding. The quality of his experimental work lies at the highest level. His work has focused on early transition metal and f-element and more recently on cyclooctatetraene and pentalene complexes; and synthesis of 2-coordinate Group 10 carbene complexes and their applications to C-X coupling reactions. |