Jean Frechet
Encyclopedia
Professor Jean M.J. Fréchet (b. August 19, 1944, Burgundy, France
) is the Henry Rapoport
Chair of Organic Chemistry
at the Department of Chemistry
, University of California, Berkeley
. In addition he is the head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division,of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
, Director of the Organic and Macromolecular Facility for the Molecular Foundry
, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Vice-President for research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He has authored nearly 800 scientific papers and holds over 70 United States Patents. His research areas include organic synthesis
and polymer chemistry
applied to nanoscience and nanotechnology
with emphasis on the design, fundamental understanding, synthesis, and applications of functional macromolecules. He was a good friend of influential American chemist Linus Pauling
and consistently mentions him in his organic chemistry lectures. As of March 2011, he is 16th on the Hirsch index rating of all living chemists with an H-index of 105.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is the Henry Rapoport
Henry Rapoport
Henry Rapoport was an internationally renowned organic chemist and Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He is widely recognized for his work in the development of the chemical synthesis of biologically important compounds and pharmaceuticals.Henry Rapoport obtained a...
Chair of Organic Chemistry
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
at the Department of Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In addition he is the head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division,of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
, Director of the Organic and Macromolecular Facility for the Molecular Foundry
Molecular Foundry
- The Molecular Foundry : is a nanoscience user facility located at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, and is one of five nanoscale science research centers sponsored by the United States Department of Energy...
, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Vice-President for research at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He has authored nearly 800 scientific papers and holds over 70 United States Patents. His research areas include organic synthesis
Organic synthesis
Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
and polymer chemistry
Polymer chemistry
Polymer chemistry or macromolecular chemistry is a multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules. According to IUPAC recommendations, macromolecules refer to the individual molecular chains and are the domain of chemistry...
applied to nanoscience and nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
with emphasis on the design, fundamental understanding, synthesis, and applications of functional macromolecules. He was a good friend of influential American chemist Linus Pauling
Linus Pauling
Linus Carl Pauling was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century...
and consistently mentions him in his organic chemistry lectures. As of March 2011, he is 16th on the Hirsch index rating of all living chemists with an H-index of 105.
Education and Academic Career
Jean Fréchet received his first university degree at the Institut de Chimie et Physique Industrielles (now CPE) in Lyon, France, before coming to the US for graduate studies in organic and polymer chemistry at the State University of New York, College of Forestry, and at Syracuse University. He joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of Ottawa in Canada in 1973 and remained there until 1987 when he became IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1995 he was named to the Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry at Cornell University. In 1997, Jean Fréchet joined the Chemistry Faculty at the University of California, Berkeley and was named the Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry in 2003 and Professor of Chemical Engineering in 2005. In June 2010 he took an 18 month leave of absence from his position at Berkeley to act as Vice President Research at the King Abdullah University of Science & Technology.- Ingénieur-Chimiste, ICPI (now CPE) Lyon, France, 1967.
- MS, SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, 1969.
- MS, Syracuse University, 1969.
- Ph.D., SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry, 1971.
- Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1971.
- Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1973 - 1978.
- Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1978 - 1982.
- Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1979.
- Professor of Chemistry, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1982 - 1987.
- Visiting Scientist, IBM Research Laboratory, San Jose, CA, 1983.
- Vice Dean, School of Graduate Studies & Research, University of Ottawa, Canada, 1983-1987.
- IBM Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 1987 – 95.
- Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY, 1995 - 98.
- Faculty Senior Scientist and Head of Materials Synthesis, Materials Science Division, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 1997 - 2003.
- Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 1996–present.
- Director of Organic/Polymer/Biopolymer facility, The Molecular Foundry, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 2003–present.
- Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley 2003–present.
- Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley 2004–present.
- Vice President Research, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, 2010-present
Awards
- 2010 Grand Prix de la Maison de la Chimie (Paris)
- 2010 Erasmus Medal of the Academia Europaea
- 2010 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the "Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to application"
- 2010 University of California Department of Chemistry Teaching Award
- 2010 Fellow of the American Chemical Society
- 2009 Elected to the Academy of Europe (Academia Europaea)
- 2009 Nagoya Gold Medal.
- 2009 Arun Guthikonda Memorial Award, Columbia University.
- 2009 Society of Polymer Science of Japan, International Award for the “Development of functional polymers from fundamentals to applications”.
- 2009 Carothers Award for “Outstanding contributions and advances in industrial applications of chemistry”.
- 2009 Herman Mark Award, American Chemical Society.
- 2008 D.Sc. (Honoris Causa), University of Liverpool, UK
- 2007 Dickson Prize in Science, Carnegie Mellon University
- 2007 Arthur C. Cope AwardArthur C. Cope AwardThe Arthur C. Cope Award is a prize awarded for achievement in the field of organic chemistry research. It is generally considered one of the highest honors in the field. It is sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, and has been awarded since 1973 by the American Chemical Society.Recipients...
(American Chemical Society award for outstanding achievement in the field of Organic Chemistry) - 2006 Macro Group UK Medal (joint Royal Society for Chemistry and Society of Chemical Industry) for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Macromolecular Chemistry
- 2005 Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Service of the Public
- 2005 Chemical Communications 40th Anniversary Award
- 2004 Docteur de L’Université, Université d’Ottawa, Canada
- 2003 Henry Rapoport Chair of Organic Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
- 2002 Docteur (Honoris Causa), Université de Lyon I, France
- 2001 American Chemical Society, Salute to Excellence Award
- 2001 American Chemical Society, A.C. Cope Scholar Award
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Art and Sciences
- 2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of Engineering
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the PMSE Division of the American Chemical Society
- 2000 Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
- 2000 Elected Member of the US National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
- 2000 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Polymer Chemistry
- 2000 Myron L. BenderMyron L. BenderMyron Lee Bender was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He obtained his B.S. and his Ph.D. from Purdue University. The latter was under the direction of Henry B. Hass. After postdoctoral research under Paul D. Barlett , and Frank H. Westheimer , he spent one year as a faculty member at the...
& Muriel S. Bender Distinguished Summer Lectureship - 1999 Society of Imaging Science and Technology, Kosar Memorial Award
- 1996 American Chemical Society, ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science
- 1995 Peter J. Debye Chair of Chemistry, Cornell University, NY
- 1994 American Chemical Society, Cooperative Research Award in Polymer Science
- 1987 IBM Professor of Polymer Chemistry
- 1986 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...
, Doolittle Award in Polymer Materials Science & Engineering - 1986 Polymer Society of Japan Lecture Award
- 1983 IUPAC Canadian National Committee Award