Brian F. G. Johnson facts for kids

Brian Frederick Gilbert Johnson was born on 11 September 1938 in Northampton, England. He is a British scientist and a retired professor of chemistry at the University of Cambridge. From 1999 to 2005, he was also the Master of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. This means he was the head of one of the colleges at the famous University of Cambridge.

Studying Chemistry

Brian Johnson went to Northampton Grammar School when he was younger. Later, he studied at the University of Nottingham. Here, he earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science (BSc). He then continued his studies and received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. A PhD is the highest degree you can get at a university.

Amazing Discoveries

Throughout his career, Professor Johnson has done a lot of research in different areas of chemistry. He has been especially interested in tiny things called nanoparticles. These are particles that are incredibly small, even smaller than a speck of dust!

He worked closely with another scientist named Jack Lewis. Together, they discovered many new and unusual chemical compounds. Their work helped us understand more about how different metals and other elements can join together.

Special Awards

In 1991, Brian Johnson was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very big honor for a scientist in the United Kingdom. It means he is recognized for making important new discoveries in science.

He was honored for his work in understanding how certain metals react. He studied how small organic molecules connect to metal centers. His later work focused on complex groups of metal atoms called "polynuclear carbonyl complexes." He found new ways these atoms could bond together. His research helped a lot in developing a field called "cluster chemistry." This area of chemistry looks at how groups of metal atoms behave.