Two scientists from the University of Nottingham have been honoured with prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Prizes.
Professor Graham Newton from the School of Chemistry at the University, has been named winner of the RSC's Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Prize, for the development of hybrid molecular metal-oxide redox materials and their applications in energy storage.
Dr Misha Zelzer, from the School of Pharmacy, was part of the Biomaterials Chemistry Group from Loughborough. The group has been named winner of the Inspirational Committee Award for the development of a programme of activity to empower their community and foster inclusion across career stage and sector.
The Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Prize is one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Research & Innovation Prizes, given in celebration of exceptional people advancing the chemical sciences across industry and academia.
Redox reactions – processes in which materials gain or lose electrons – underpin many of the technologies modern society depends on, from batteries and fuel cells to industrial catalysts and environmental clean-up systems. The efficiency, stability, and sustainability of these technologies all hinge on how well we can control redox behaviour. Yet traditional redox materials, bulk metal oxides, offer limited atomic level control, making it difficult to fine tune their properties or, at times, understand exactly how they work. Professor Newton's research addresses this challenge by developing molecular approaches to redox materials. These new precision methods open new pathways to improved energy storage, cleaner catalysis, and more sustainable redox based technologies.
I'm so happy to see the hard work of the wonderful people who have come through my group acknowledged in this way. Multidisciplinary science is a team sport and this award really reflects the curiosity, creativity and drive of so many people.
The Inspirational Committee Award is one of the Royal Society of Chemistry's Volunteer Recognition Prizes, given in celebration of RSC members who support and inspire others within the community.
The RSC Biomaterials Chemistry Committee has demonstrated sustained commitment to building a collaborative, inclusive and professionally supportive community that bridges academia, industry and clinical practice. Through the delivery of high-impact events, mentoring initiatives and targeted professional development activities, the committee has strengthened engagement across career stages and sectors, fostering knowledge exchange and innovation in biomaterials chemistry. The broader impact extends to enhancing career development opportunities for RSC members, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration within the chemical sciences community, and accelerating the translation of biomaterials research towards real-world healthcare and societal applications.
Chemistry and chemists are everywhere in daily life and in our society, and our prizes reflect that depth and diversity. Our Research & Innovation prize winners include teams and individuals, professors and apprentices, as well as people from all around the world and in a wide range of roles and sectors. Each person's contribution plays a vital role in advancing human knowledge and bettering the world that we all live in.
Dr Pain continued: "I extend my warmest congratulations to Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Prize. Winning an RSC Prize is a remarkable achievement. You join the ranks of a star-studded roster stretching back over 150 years, including several dozen who went on to win Nobel Prizes. Our winners are exceptional role models for our communities, and we're so pleased to be celebrating such an extraordinary cohort this year."
The full suite of RSC Prizes comprises Volunteer Recognition Prizes, Research & Innovation Prizes, Education Prizes (announced in November), the Inclusion & Diversity Prize, and the Horizon Prizes – team prizes given to scientific collaborations innovating and conducting cutting edge research at the frontiers of chemistry.
