J. Fraser Stoddart, Nobel Prize winner and professor from Northwestern University, gave the 185th lecture for “Centurial Lanzhou University, Renown Celebrity Lectures” in Lanzhou University for the invitation from LZU. The schoolmaster Chunhua Yan met professor J. Fraser Stoddart at the VIP room of the Student Activity Center in Chenguan Campus on the afternoon of September 17th.

Professor Stoddart began his lecture themed as “My Journey to Stockholm ” at 16:00 p.m. at the auditorium of the Student Activity Center. The lecture was hosted by professor Pengfei Xu, assistant to schoolmaster. At the beginning, schoolmaser Chunhua Yan introduced professor Stoddart. At first, professor Stoddart expressed his sincere congratulations on the 110th anniversary of Lanzhou Univesity. Then he talked about his experience of growing up, studying and working. Based on supramolecular chemical-mechanical interlocks research, his speech ranged from preparation of supramolecules and simple assembly to assembling into molecular machines.

When the lecture came to an end, the staff and sutdents present asked questions eagerly and professor Stoddart gave his explanations patiently. The hall enjoyed a warm atmophere.

Backgrounds:

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in1942, J. Fraser Stoddart received his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh in 1966 and won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2016. Currently he is professor of Northwestern University, academician of the American Academy of Sciences, fellow of the Royal Society, academician of German Academy of Natural Sciences, academician of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, academician of the American Association for the advancement of Science and foreign academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor J. Fraser Stoddart is an internationally renowned supramolecular chemist and a pioneer in the field of supramolecular chemical-mechanical interlocks. He pioneered the process of template synthesis of bistable mechanically interlocked molecules (such as rotaxane and chorohydrocarbon) during molecular identification and assembly. Additionally he obtained outstanding achievements when applying molecular machines such as molecular switches and molecular motors into the fields of nano-electronic devices, nano-electromechanical systems, nano-pharmacy and metal-organic skeleton structures. Up to now, he has published over 1000 academic articles in Science, Nature, Nature Chemistry and PNAS. His H index (124) is ranked the third aomng the chemists all over the world.

Improtant Awards:

Second Netherlands Award for Supramolecular Chemistry (2017); Scottish Innovation Award (Baird of Bute Society) (2017); Great Immigrants for 2017 (Carnegie Corporation of New York) (2017); Nobel Prize in Chemistry (Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences) (2016); Centenary Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK (2014); Alan G MacDiarmid Medal (University of Pennsylvania) (2014); Thomson-Reuters Highly Cited Researcher in Chemistry (2014); IChemE North America Chemical Engineering Project of the Year Award (2013); Distinguished Citizen Award, Illinois Saint Andrew Society, Chicago, USA (2012); Undergraduate Chemistry Council Teacher of the Year Award (Northwestern University) (2010); Royal Medal of the Royal Society of Edinburgh presented by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (2010); International Society for Nanoscale Science, Computation and Engineering Award (2010); Davy Medal of the Royal Society of London (2008); Arthur C Cope Award (American Chemical Society) (2008); Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology (Experimental) (2007); Albert Einstein World Prize in Science (2007); Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry (2007); Jabir Ibn Hyyan (Geber) Medal (Saudi Chemical Society) (2007); King Faisal International Prize in Science (2007); Fuson Award (University of Nevada) (2006); Mack Memorial Award (Ohio State University) (2006); University of Edinburgh Alumnus of the Year 2005 Award (2005); Nagoya Gold Medal in Organic Chemistry (2004); Herbert Newby McCoy Award (UCLA) (2001); Arthur C Cope Scholar Award (American Chemical Society) (1999); Adolf Steinhofer Foundation Award (University of Kaiserslautern, Germany) (1995); Claire Bruylants Award (University of Louvaine-La-Neuve, Belgium) (1994); International Izatt-Christensen Award in Macrocyclic Chemistry (1993).