Schrock, Richard Royce (1945-…), an American chemist, won a share of the 2005 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work in developing a chemical reaction called metathesis. Schrock shared the prize with the chemists Yves Chauvin of France and Robert H. Grubbs of the United States.
Metathesis << muh TATH uh sihs >> involves organic (carbon-based) compounds. Nearly all organic molecules consist of chains, rings, or more complex frameworks of carbon atoms to which atoms of other elements can be attached. Single, double, or triple chemical bonds connect the atoms in these molecules. Double bonds are much stronger than single bonds, making it difficult for chemists to break double bonds to form new compounds. In metathesis, chemists break double bonds more easily by introducing a catalyst—that is, a substance that starts or speeds up a chemical reaction. Chemists began performing metathesis in the 1950’s without knowing exactly how the reaction worked. In 1971, Chauvin explained metathesis in detail.
Schrock used Chauvin’s description of metathesis to begin searching for catalysts that carried out the reaction more efficiently. In 1990, Schrock announced that he had developed a group of extremely efficient catalysts based on the metal molybdenum. However, these catalysts proved difficult to use because they degraded when exposed to moisture or oxygen. Building on Schrock’s work, Grubbs produced ruthenium-based catalysts that were somewhat less efficient but easier to handle than Schrock’s catalysts. The work of Chauvin, Schrock, and Grubbs enabled manufacturers to make organic compounds, including some plastics and medicines, using fewer harmful and expensive chemicals.
Schrock was born Jan. 4, 1945, in Berne, Indiana. In 1967, he received a B.A. degree in chemistry from the University of California at Riverside. He earned a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in 1971. He then spent a year conducting research at Cambridge University in England, followed by three years as a scientist for the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1975, he became a professor of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
See also Chauvin, Yves ; Grubbs, Robert Howard .
