Cardiff University scientist wins prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Prize
8 June 2022
Dr Louis Morrill, from the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University, has won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Hickinbottom Award in recognition of brilliance in research and innovation.
The prize was awarded for the development of sustainable methodologies for synthesis which employ catalysts that are metal-free or based on earth-abundant first row transition metals. He will join a prestigious list of past winners in the RSC’s prize portfolio, 60 of whom have gone on to win Nobel Prizes for their work, including 2016 Nobel laureates Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Ben Feringa and 2019 Nobel laureate John B Goodenough.
Dr Morrill will receive £3,000 and a medal.
After receiving the prize, Dr Morrill said: “Surprise, that the achievements of our research team have been determined to be worthy of such a prize, and gratitude. Also, excitement about the opportunity to present our research at universities across the UK and Ireland.”
Dr Morrill's research group aims to introduce new, more sustainable synthetic approaches to enable chemical transformations that are otherwise difficult to achieve. Developing clean and sustainable catalytic and electrochemical processes is of high importance, particularly for industrial processes. Investment and innovation in this area will support various UK chemical industries to adopt more sustainable synthetic approaches and contribute towards UK (and global) priorities.
The Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Dr Helen Pain, said: “Great science changes the way we think about things – either through the techniques used, the findings themselves, the products that emerge or even in how we interact with the world and those around us. Importantly, it also allows us to reflect on the incredible people involved in this work and how they have achieved their results.
“Although we are in the midst of negotiating a particularly turbulent and challenging era, it is important to celebrate successes and advances in understanding as genuine opportunities to improve our lives. The work of Dr Morrill is a fantastic example of why we celebrate great science, and we’re very proud to recognise their contribution today.”
More information is available at: rsc.li/prizes.