2024 Organic Chemistry early career Prize: Hickinbottom Prize Winner
Professor Liam Ball, University of Nottingham
Awarded for the development and mechanistic study of new organic synthesis methods based on pnictogen elements.
Dr Ball's group invents new reactions and strategies that scientists in industry and academia can use to make the small organic molecules that will underpin our future quality of life. A key aspect of the group's approach is to use a detailed understanding of how reactions happen to design processes that are more sustainable and less costly than existing methods or that give access to molecules that cannot currently be prepared.
| Year | Name | Institution | Citation |
| 2023 | Dr Matthew Grayson | University of Bath | Awarded for enabling rational organic reactivity design through the use and development of computational methods. |
| 2022 | Dr Louis Morrill | Cardiff University | 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. |
| 2021 | Professor Vijay Chudasama | University College London | Awarded for the development of reagents and strategies for site-selective protein modification to enable targeted therapy, imaging and diagnostics. |
| 2020 | Dr Jordi Burés | University of Manchester | Awarded for the development of novel kinetic analyses to streamline the elucidation of reaction mechanisms. |
| 2019 |
Dr Allan Watson | University of St Andrews | Awarded for developing approaches to understand the mechanism of catalytic reactions and to generate new approaches to make C-X bonds. |
| 2018 | Dr William Unsworth | University of York | Awarded for creativity in the development of new methods for the synthesis of functionalised macrocycles and spirocycles. |
| 2017 | Dr Andrew Lawrence | University of Edinburgh | Awarded for biomimetic approaches to total synthesis involving cycloadditions, characterised by brevity and elegance. |
| 2016 | Dr Stephen Thomas | University of Edinburgh | Awarded for his highly selective iron-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization of alkenes, particularly hydrocarboxylation, and the development of a suite of easily handled iron catalysts. |
| 2015 | Dr John Bower | University of Bristol | Awarded for his research on the design and mechanism of broadly applicable transition metal catalysed processes for organic synthesis. |
| 2014 | Dr Stephen Goldup | Queen Mary, University of London | Awarded for pioneering work on rotaxane synthesis and the formation of mechanically bonded systems. |
| 2013 |
Dr Oren Scherman | University of Cambridge | Awarded for his innovative and insightful contributions to aqueous supramolecular chemistry, in particular the harnessing of cucurbiturils for a wide range of applications. |
| 2012 |
Dr Rachel O'Reilly | University of Warwick | Awarded for ground-breaking work in the synthesis of new macromolecular architectures and in the development of novel functionalization reactions and organic transformations for materials chemistry. |
| 2011 |
Hon Lam | University of Edinburgh | Awarded for his development of new metal-catalysed reactions that address important unsolved problems, typically with an "asymmetric twist". |
| 2010 |
Matthew Clarke | University of St Andrews | Awarded for his design and development of new and industrially applicable catalysts for asymmetric hydroxycarbonylation and the formation of tertiary carbon centres via hydroformylation. |
| 2009 |
Gregory Challis | University of Warwick | Awarded for his exploitation of genomics, for the discovery of novel bioactive natural products and his mechanistic studies on enzymes that catalyse key steps in pathogenicity-conferring siderophore biosynthesis. |
| 2006/2008 | Professor Jonathan P Clayden | University of Manchester | |
| 2000/2002 | Guy C Lloyd-Jones | University of Bristol | |
| 1996-1997 | Varinder K Aggarwal | ||
| 1996-1997 | Susan E Gibson | Imperial College London | |
| 1994/1995 | Richard F W Jackson | ||
| 1993-1994 | Nigel S Simpkins | ||
| 1992/1993 | D Gani, P C B Page | ||
| 1991/1992 | Christopher Abell | University of Cambridge | |
| 1990/1991 | Timothy C Gallagher | ||
| 1989/1990 | Ian Paterson | ||
| 1988/1989 | David Parker | ||
| 1987/1988 | John A Robinson | ||
| 1986/1987 | Christopher J Moody | ||
| 1985/1986 | Richard J K Taylor | ||
| 1984/1985 | Stephen G Davies | University of Oxford | |
| 1983/1984 | Philip J Kocienski | ||
| 1982/1983 | E J Thomas | ||
| 1981/1982 | Steven V Ley | ||
| 1981/1982 | Jeremy K M Sanders | University of Cambridge |
Re-thinking recognition: Science prizes for the modern world
This report is the result of an independent review of our recognition programmes. Our aim in commissioning this review was to ensure that our recognition portfolio continues to deliver the maximum impact for chemical scientists, chemistry and society.