- Professor Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, a pioneer in supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology, died on 30 December 2024 aged 82
- Sir Fraser worked at the University of Sheffield for 20 years between 1970 and 1990 – first as a Research Fellow, then as Lecturer and Reader in Chemistry
- He was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the world's smallest molecular machines, which are a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair
- Beyond his scientific achievements, Sir Fraser was a dedicated mentor to countless young scientists and a passionate advocate for scientific research and education
Tributes from the global scientific community have been paid to a former University of Sheffield lecturer and Nobel prize winning chemist.
Professor Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, who was a pioneer in supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology, died on 30 December 2024 aged 82.
Sir Fraser joined the University of Sheffield in 1970, where he was the first Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) Research Fellow before going on to become a Lecturer and then Associate Professor of Chemistry. He left the University of Sheffield in 1990 to take up a position at the University of Birmingham before moving to the USA, where he became Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Sir Fraser was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2016 along with Jean-Pierre Sauvage of the University of Strasbourg and Ben L. Feringa of the University of Groningen, for their design and synthesis of the world's smallest molecular machines, which are a thousand times thinner than a strand of hair.
Their work has dramatically changed the way in which chemists can prepare complex assemblies of individually simple components so that useful functions emerge on a tiny scale. This has a fundamental role to play in the development of nanotechnology.
The work conducted by Sir Fraser and his Sheffield research group in 1991 was cited and praised in the Nobel Prize announcement for enabling the field of molecular machinery to take a ‘big leap forward’.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Sir Fraser was a dedicated mentor to countless young scientists and a passionate advocate for scientific research and education. He remained connected with the University of Sheffield throughout his life, most recently visiting Chemistry students and researchers in 2018, inspiring them through his immense contributions to chemistry and his unwavering commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.
Sir Fraser was a champion of the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED, which offers chemistry research opportunities for economically disadvantaged high school students.
Writing in his Nobel Prize autobiography, Sir Fraser said: “I have been immensely privileged to be able to practice my hobby almost every day of my life in the presence of highly intelligent and outstandingly gifted young people.”
Paying tribute to Sir Fraser, Professor John Derrick, Vice-President and the Head of Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield, said: "Sir Fraser Stoddart's exceptional contribution to science is a source of great pride to us here at the University of Sheffield. His groundbreaking research in supramolecular chemistry has not only advanced our understanding of the molecular world but has also inspired generations of scientists.
"He spent more than 20 years as a renowned scholar and dedicated mentor at the University of Sheffield and we are deeply saddened by his passing.
"Our deepest sympathies are with his family and friends."
Sir Fraser was born in Edinburgh in 1942. During his career he has received a number of prestigious national and international honours including the Royal Medal in 2010 from His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, the Albert Einstein World Award of Science and the Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize in 2014.
He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Sheffield in 2008. He has published over 1,300 scientific papers, trained more than 500 graduate and postdoctoral students.
Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: "Sir Fraser will be remembered fondly, not only for his outstanding contribution to science, but as a dedicated colleague, mentor and friend to many in the University of Sheffield community throughout his career.
“He leaves a remarkable legacy as a distinguished Nobel laureate in Chemistry whose countless achievements continue to inspire the next generation of scientists in Sheffield and around the world.
“We are grateful for his support of our University over many years, and are so proud of all his accomplishments. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this sad time."
Sir Fraser spent around 17 years at Northwestern University, US, as the board of trustees Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for the Chemistry of Integrated Systems. He joined the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2023, to become Chair Professor in the Department of Chemistry.
For more information about the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Science, please visit: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/science
