Stoddart Wins King Faisal International Prize

James Fraser Stoddart, Fred Kavli Professor of NanoSystems Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, and director of the California NanoSystems Institute, is the winner of the 2007 King Faisal International Prize in Science.

Stoddart, a pioneer in the field of nanoscience, won the prize for his research on molecular recognition and self-assembly. His introduction of quick and efficient template-directed synthetic routes to mechanically interlocked molecular compounds has changed the way chemists think about molecular systems and how they can be used in the fabrication of molecular switches and machines such as molecular elevators and shuttles.

Queen Elizabeth II recently honored Stoddart with a knighthood (C&EN, Jan. 8, page 9).

The King Faisal Foundation awards the King Faisal International Prizes every year in the fields of medicine, science, Islamic studies, service to Islam, and Arabic literature. The foundation is the Middle East's largest philanthropic organization.