Richard J. Puddephatt facts for kids

Richard John Puddephatt, OC FRSC FCIC, was born in 1943 in Aylesbury, England. He is a special professor in the chemistry department at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada. Richard used to lead research on making new materials for Canada.

He has spent his career studying how gold and other valuable metals work. This research helps create new materials that could be used in medicine and electronics. Professor Puddephatt is a top expert on platinum and gold chemistry. He has also written two books: The Chemistry of Gold and The Periodic Table of Elements.

Education

Richard Puddephatt went to school in England before studying at university.

• Penn and Tylers Green Primary School
• High Wycombe Royal Grammar School
• He earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University of London in 1965.
• He received his PhD from University College London in 1968.

Research and Discoveries

Professor Puddephatt's research focuses on organometallic chemistry. This is a type of chemistry that studies compounds containing a bond between a metal and a carbon atom. He has explored how to make new compounds with valuable metals like platinum and gold. He also studies how these compounds react and how these reactions happen.

His work is important for two main areas:

• Catalysis: This is about speeding up chemical reactions. Professor Puddephatt has figured out how many chemical reactions work, especially those that speed up other reactions.
• Materials Science: This involves creating new materials. He has found ways to make useful materials for things like thin metal films. These films can be used in electronics.

He also discovered ways to make special ring-shaped molecules called catenanes. He also created metal-containing polymers, which are large molecules made of repeating units.

Awards and Honours

Professor Puddephatt has received many important awards for his work.