Bill David facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill David
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David in 2016
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| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Awards | John B Goodenough Award |
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| Thesis | Structural phase transitions in ferroic ABO4 crystals (1981) |
William I. F. David is a brilliant scientist and professor. He teaches Materials Chemistry at the University of Oxford. This means he studies how different materials are made and how they behave. He also works at a big science lab called the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. There, he uses a special tool called an ISIS neutron source to study materials. He is also a senior member at St Catherine's College, Oxford.
Contents
His Journey in Science
Early Studies
William David went to St Catherine's College, Oxford for his university studies. He chose to study Physics. After finishing his first degree, he continued his studies at the Clarendon Laboratory. In 1981, he earned his PhD, which is a very high university degree. His research was guided by Professor Anthony Michael Glazer. After getting his PhD, he worked with another famous scientist, John B. Goodenough, in Oxford.
Amazing Discoveries
Professor David has done a lot of important work in science. He helped improve ways to study materials using special tools. These tools are called neutron diffraction and X-ray powder diffraction.
Studying Materials
One of his big achievements was studying a tiny molecule called C60. He also created a computer program called DASH. This program helps scientists quickly figure out the structures of tiny crystals. He also uses a special type of math called Bayesian probability theory in his work. This helps him understand data better.
Energy and New Materials
Professor David is very interested in how we can store energy. He started by researching materials used in lithium batterys. More recently, he has worked on materials that can store hydrogen. Hydrogen is a very light gas that can be used as fuel.
He also found a new way to use ammonia. Ammonia can be a way to store energy safely. His main goal is to find materials that help us use ammonia as a clean energy source.
Awards and Special Honours
Professor David has received many awards for his important work.
- In 1990, he won the Institute of Physics C. V. Boys Prize.
- In 2002, he received the first-ever British Crystallographic Association Prize.
- He won the European Society for Applied Physical Chemistry Prize in 2006.
- In 2013, he received one of the William Lawrence Bragg Lecture Awards. This award celebrated 100 years since the discovery of X-ray diffraction.
- In 2015, the Royal Society of Chemistry gave him the John B Goodenough Award. This award recognized his amazing contributions to materials chemistry.
- In 2016, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
