Prize was awarded for 'the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis', research that has been credited with making metathesis into one of organic chemistry's most important reactions
Wyatt Technology reports that two of its customers have recently been awarded a Nobel prize in chemistry.
The accolade adds an increasingly impressive list of world-renowned scientists to Wyatt's customer base.
Announced on the 5 October 2005, the Nobel prize in chemistry was awarded jointly to three researchers: Robert Grubbs, professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech); Richard Schrock, professor of chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and Yves Chauvin from the Institut Francaise du Petrole.
The prize was awarded for 'the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis', research that has been credited with making metathesis into one of organic chemistry's most important reactions because it results in synthesis methods that are more efficient, simpler to use and more environmentally friendly.
Robert Grubbs of CalTech uses three of Wyatt's instruments: the Dawn Heleos, a multi-angle light scattering (Mals) detector, a new generation detector that can incorporate both Mals and Qels (quasi-elastic light scattering) into a single unit; the ViscoStar, an online differential viscometer, the only viscometer that can measure intrinsic viscosity across the peaks of monodisperse samples to providing truly accurate readings for the first time; and the Optilab Rex (refractometer with extended range), an RI detector claiming 256 times the detection power, and up to 50 times the dynamic range of any other RI detector in existence today.
Grubbs, who became a member of Wyatt's scientific advisory board in August 2005, was a plenary speaker at Wyatt's annual Light Scattering Colloquium in 2003, where he discussed different light scattering applications using Wyatt's instrumentation.
Richard Schrock of MIT uses a mini Dawn, a triple-angle light scattering detector for the measurement of absolute molecular weight, size and conformation of macromolecules in solution.
Grubbs and Schrock join an increasing number of Wyatt customers who have been awarded major scientific accolades.
