Nuckolls Selected for Baekeland Award

The ACS North Jersey Section will present the 2009 Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award to Colin Nuckolls of Columbia University. The award is given in recognition of accomplishments in pure or applied chemistry by a U.S. chemist as characterized by the initiative, creativeness, leadership, and perseverance of an individual under the age of 40. Nuckolls has made outstanding contributions to both fundamental and applied research in nanoscience. Two of his most striking accomplishments are the use of molecular strain to promote the formation of important new materials and the use of a cutting, reconnecting technique applied to single-walled carbon nanotubes to generate single-molecule electrical devices. According to the award jury, Nuckolls' ability to imagine and synthesize significant organic structures and then create the understanding of their electrical properties distinguishes him from others in this interdisciplinary field.

In the five years that he has been an independent investigator, Nuckolls has initiated a remarkable number of research programs. His innovative research is redefining molecular nanotechnology. An award symposium will be held in his honor at Rutgers University, in Piscataway, N.J., on Nov. 13, at which time the Baekeland Medal will be presented. Online registration and more information can be found at www.njacs.org. Address further questions to Michael M. Miller, chair of the Baekeland Award Committee, at dmichael.miller@bms.com.