F. Gordon A. Stone
Encyclopedia
Francis Gordon Albert Stone CBE
, FRS, FRSC
(May 19, 1925 – April 6, 2011) was an English chemist
who was a prolific and decorated scholar. He specialized in the synthesis of main group and transition metal
organometallic compounds. He received his B.A. in 1948 and Ph.D. in 1951, both from Cambridge University, England, where he studied under Harry Julius Emeléus
. He was the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University
until 2010, but his most productive period was as head of Inorganic Chemistry at Bristol University (1963-1990), where he published hundreds of papers over the course of 27 years. In research he competed with his contemporary Geoffrey Wilkinson
.
Among the many foci of his studies were complexes of fluorocarbon
, isocyanide
, polyolefin
, alkylidene and alkylidyne ligands. At Baylor, he maintained a research program on boron hydrides, a lifelong interest.
He authored the autobiographic Leaving No Stone Unturned. With Wilkinson, he edited the influential series Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry. With Robert West, he edited the series Advances in Organometallic Chemistry.
The Gordon Stone Lecture series at the University of Bristol is named in his honour
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRS, FRSC
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. Achieving Fellow status in the chemical profession denotes to the wider community a high level of accomplishment as a professional chemist...
(May 19, 1925 – April 6, 2011) was an English chemist
Inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds , which are the subjects of organic chemistry...
who was a prolific and decorated scholar. He specialized in the synthesis of main group and transition metal
Transition metal
The term transition metal has two possible meanings:*The IUPAC definition states that a transition metal is "an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell." Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition.*Some...
organometallic compounds. He received his B.A. in 1948 and Ph.D. in 1951, both from Cambridge University, England, where he studied under Harry Julius Emeléus
Harry Julius Emeléus
Harry Julius Emeléus CBE, FRS was a leading British inorganic chemist.-Early life:Emeléus was born in Poplar, London on 22 June 1903, the son of Karl Henry Emeléus , a pharmacist who was born in Vaasä, Finland. The family moved to the Old Pharmacy in Battle, Sussex shortly after Emeléus was born...
. He was the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
until 2010, but his most productive period was as head of Inorganic Chemistry at Bristol University (1963-1990), where he published hundreds of papers over the course of 27 years. In research he competed with his contemporary Geoffrey Wilkinson
Geoffrey Wilkinson
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson FRS was a Nobel laureate English chemist who pioneered inorganic chemistry and homogeneous transition metal catalysis.-Biography:...
.
Among the many foci of his studies were complexes of fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbon
Fluorocarbons, sometimes referred to as perfluorocarbons or PFCs, are organofluorine compounds that contain only carbon and fluorine bonded together in strong carbon–fluorine bonds. Fluoroalkanes that contain only single bonds are more chemically and thermally stable than alkanes...
, isocyanide
Isocyanide
An isocyanide is an organic compound with the functional group -N≡C. It is the isomer of the related cyanide , hence the prefix iso....
, polyolefin
Polyolefin
A polyolefin is a polymer produced from a simple olefin as a monomer. For example, polyethylene is the polyolefin produced by polymerizing the olefin ethylene. An equivalent term is polyalkene; this is a more modern term, although polyolefin is still used in the petrochemical industry...
, alkylidene and alkylidyne ligands. At Baylor, he maintained a research program on boron hydrides, a lifelong interest.
He authored the autobiographic Leaving No Stone Unturned. With Wilkinson, he edited the influential series Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry. With Robert West, he edited the series Advances in Organometallic Chemistry.
The Gordon Stone Lecture series at the University of Bristol is named in his honour
Awards
- Fellow of the Royal Society of ChemistryFellow of the Royal Society of ChemistryFellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom. Achieving Fellow status in the chemical profession denotes to the wider community a high level of accomplishment as a professional chemist...
(1970) - Fellow of the Royal Society (1976)
- Chugaev Medal of the Kurnakov Institute (Russian Academy of SciencesRussian Academy of SciencesThe Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
) (1978) - American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
’s award in Inorganic Chemistry (1985) - Royal Society of ChemistryRoyal Society of ChemistryThe Royal Society of Chemistry is a learned society in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemical sciences." It was formed in 1980 from the merger of the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Chemistry, the Faraday Society and the Society for Analytical Chemistry with a new...
’s Sir Edward Frankland Prize Lectureship (1988) - Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
's Davy MedalDavy MedalThe Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1877 to Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and Gustav Robert Kirchhoff "for...
(1989) - Royal Society of Chemistry’s Longstaff Medal (1990)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1990)