David Alan Leigh (born 1963) FRS

FRSE Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

FRSC is a British

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

Research Professor and, since 2014, the

Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry The Sir Samuel Hall Chair of Chemistry is the named Chair of Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester, established through an endowment of £36,000 in 1913 by the Hall family.Portrait of a University, 1851-1951: To Com ...

in the Department of Chemistry at the

University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...

. He was previously the Forbes Chair of Organic Chemistry at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

(2001–2012) and Professor of Synthetic Chemistry at the

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands (county), West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded i ...

(1998–2001).

Education

Leigh was educated at

Codsall Community High School Codsall Community High School is a coeducational upper school and sixth form located in Codsall, Staffordshire, England. It is located in a large village in South Staffordshire, near Wolverhampton. A total of 1017 pupils (including more than 30 ...

and the

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

Career and research

He is noted for the invention of fundamental methods to control molecular-level dynamics and entanglement, including strategies to construct

rotaxane In chemistry, a rotaxane () is a mechanically interlocked molecular architecture consisting of a dumbbell-shaped molecule which is threaded through a macrocycle (see graphical representation). The two components of a rotaxane are kinetically t ...

catenane In macromolecular chemistry, a catenane () is a mechanically interlocked molecular architecture consisting of two or more interlocked macrocycles, i.e. a molecule containing two or more intertwined rings. The interlocked rings cannot be sepa ...

s and

molecular knots In chemistry, a molecular knot is a mechanically interlocked molecular architecture that is analogous to a macroscopic knot. Naturally-forming molecular knots are found in organic molecules like DNA, RNA, and proteins. It is not certain that ...

and some of the earliest synthetic molecular motors, molecular robots and functional nanomachines. Using

mechanically-interlocked molecular architectures In chemistry, mechanically-interlocked molecular architectures (MIMAs) are molecules that are connected as a consequence of their topology. This connection of molecules is analogous to keys on a keychain loop. The keys are not directly connected ...

he prepared a novel molecular information ratchet that employs a mechanism reminiscent of

Maxwell's demon Maxwell's demon is a thought experiment that would hypothetically violate the second law of thermodynamics. It was proposed by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867. In his first letter Maxwell called the demon a "finite being", while the ' ...

(although it requires an energy input and so does not challenge the

second law of thermodynamics The second law of thermodynamics is a physical law based on universal experience concerning heat and Energy transformation, energy interconversions. One simple statement of the law is that heat always moves from hotter objects to colder objects ( ...

). He has developed a rotaxane based photoactive

molecular switch A molecular switch is a molecule that can be reversibly shifted between two or more stable states. The molecules may be shifted between the states in response to environmental stimuli, such as changes in pH, light, temperature, an electric curren ...

with the capability of changing the hydrophobicity of a surface and thus causing small droplets of liquid to move up hill, against the force of gravity. In 2009 he reported the first small-molecule walker-track system in which a 'walker' can be transported directionally along a short molecular track in a manner reminiscent of the way that biological motor proteins 'walk' along biopolymers in the cell. In 2011 his research group described the smallest molecular knot prepared to date (a 76-atom-loop

trefoil knot In knot theory, a branch of mathematics, the trefoil knot is the simplest example of a nontrivial knot. The trefoil can be obtained by joining together the two loose ends of a common overhand knot, resulting in a knotted loop. As the simplest kno ...

– three crossing points) and also a 160-atom-loop

pentafoil knot In knot theory, the cinquefoil knot, also known as Solomon's seal knot or the pentafoil knot, is one of two knots with crossing number five, the other being the three-twist knot. It is listed as the 51 knot in the Alexander-Briggs notation, a ...

(five crossing points). The Leigh group have also reported the synthesis of an 8₁₉ knot, the most complex

molecular knot In chemistry, a molecular knot is a mechanically interlocked molecular architecture that is analogous to a macroscopic knot. Naturally-forming molecular knots are found in organic molecules like DNA, RNA, and proteins. It is not certain that nat ...

made to date, and a molecular endless knot (the smallest

Chinese knot Chinese knotting, also known as () and decorative knots in non-Chinese cultures, is a decorative handcraft art that began as a form of Chinese folk art in the Tang and Song dynasty (960–1279 CE) in China. This form of craft originated and ...

). In 2013 the Leigh group reported a small-molecule machine capable of detaching and assembling a series of amino acid building blocks from a track into a peptide of specific sequence, a very primitive version of the task performed by the

ribosome Ribosomes ( ) are macromolecular machines, found within all cells, that perform biological protein synthesis (mRNA translation). Ribosomes link amino acids together in the order specified by the codons of messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules to ...

. They also invented the first autonomous chemically-fuelled

synthetic molecular motor Synthetic molecular motors are molecular machines capable of continuous directional rotation under an energy input. Although the term "molecular motor" has traditionally referred to a naturally occurring protein that induces motion (via protein ...

and demonstrated a small-molecule 'robotic arm' able to transport molecular fragments between sites 2 nm apart on a molecular platform, marking the start of so-called 'small-molecule robotics'. In 2017 the Leigh group reported the first molecular robot that can be programmed to build different molecules. The molecular robot could be programmed to construct any one of four different stereoisomers of a molecular product, a significant step towards a '

molecular assembler A molecular assembler, as defined by K. Eric Drexler, is a "proposed device able to guide chemical reactions by positioning reactive molecules with atomic precision". A molecular assembler is a kind of molecular machine. Some biological molecul ...

'. The achievement was hailed as 'science fiction becomes fact'. In 2020 the Leigh group described the 2D weaving of polymer chains, resulting in a molecularly-woven fabric with a

thread count Textile fibers, threads, yarns and fabrics are measured in a multiplicity of units. * A fiber, a single filament of natural material, such as cotton, linen or wool, or artificial material such as nylon, polyester, metal or mineral fiber, or man-m ...

of 40-60 million (the finest Egyptian linen has a thread count of ~1500). In September 2016 Leigh was suggested as one of three candidates for the potential award of a Nobel Prize for synthetic molecular machines. However, on 5 October 2016 the

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

was awarded to

J. Fraser Stoddart Sir James Fraser Stoddart (born 24 May 1942) is a British-American chemist who is Board of Trustees Professor of Chemistry and head of the Stoddart Mechanostereochemistry Group in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University in ...

Ben Feringa Bernard Lucas Feringa (, born 18 May 1951) is a Dutch synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogeneous catalysis. He is the Jacobus van 't Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, at the Stratingh ...

and

Jean-Pierre Sauvage Jean-Pierre Sauvage (; born 21 October 1944) is a French coordination chemist working at Strasbourg University. He graduated from the National School of Chemistry of Strasbourg (now known as ECPM Strasbourg), in 1967. He has specialized in ...

for the design and synthesis of

molecular machine A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...

Public engagement

Leigh’s 8₁₉ molecular knot features in the 2019

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

. In 2018 he commissioned ‘Nanobot’, a parody by acapellascience of ‘Havana’ by

Camila Cabello Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is a Cuban-born American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. While in ...

, describing the science behind nanorobotics. The ‘Professor David Leigh Prize for Chemistry’ at

encourages girls and disadvantaged children to study science at university. Leigh is a Director and Governor of

Withington Girls' School Withington Girls' School is an independent day school in Fallowfield, Manchester, United Kingdom, providing education for girls between the ages of seven and eighteen. Withington is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and the Headmasters' ...

. Leigh is a former national champion

contract bridge Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard 52-card deck. In its basic format, it is played by four players in two competing partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other around a table. Millions o ...

player and an accomplished magician (ex-Edinburgh Magic Circle and the Manchester Circle of Magicians), known for blending magic and science in his public lectures.

Awards and honours

Royal Society of Chemistry The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society (professional association) in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the Ro ...

Award for Supramolecular Chemistry (2003) *Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2004) *

Institute of Chemistry of Ireland The Institute of Chemistry of Ireland (ICI) is a society representing chemists in the Republic of Ireland. It is led by Celine Marmion, a Professor of Chemistry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. History The first meeting was held on 15 ...

Annual Award for Chemistry (2005) *Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

(2005) *

-Wolfson Research Merit Award (2005) *EPSRC Senior Research Fellow (2005–2010) *Royal Society of Chemistry Award for Nanotechnology (2005) *Royal Society of Chemistry-Real Sociedad Española de Química (RSC-RSEQ) Prize for Chemistry (2007) * International Izatt-Christensen Award in Macrocyclic Chemistry (2007) *

Foresight Nanotech Institute Feynman Prize The Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology is an award given by the Foresight Institute for significant advances in nanotechnology. Two prizes are awarded annually, in the categories of experimental and theoretical work. There is also a separate chall ...

(Theory) (2007) *EU

Descartes Prize The Descartes Prize was an annual award in science given by the European Union, named in honour of the French mathematician and philosopher, René Descartes. The prizes recognized Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements Resulting f ...

for Research (2007) *

European Research Council The European Research Council (ERC) is a public body for funding of scientific and technological research conducted within the European Union (EU). Established by the European Commission in 2007, the ERC is composed of an independent Scientific ...

Advanced Grants (2008 naugural call 2013 and 2017) *Fellow of the

(2009) *Royal Society of Chemistry Merck Award (2009) *Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Prize (2010) *

Royal Society Bakerian Medal The Bakerian Medal is one of the premier medals of the Royal Society that recognizes exceptional and outstanding science. It comes with a medal award and a prize lecture. The medalist is required to give a lecture on any topic related to physical ...

(2013) *Royal Society of Chemistry Pedler Award (2014) *

Academia Europaea The Academia Europaea is a pan-European Academy of Humanities, Letters, Law, and Sciences. The Academia was founded in 1988 as a functioning Europe-wide Academy that encompasses all fields of scholarly inquiry. It acts as co-ordinator of Europea ...

(2015) *

Research Professor (2016) *

Perkin Prize for Organic Chemistry The Perkin Prize for Organic Chemistry is a prestigious award established in 2008 by the Royal Society of Chemistry for sustained originality and achievement in research in any area of organic chemistry. The prize is named after Sir William Hen ...

(2017) *International Society for Nanoscale Science, Computation and Engineering Nanoscience Prize (2019) *Royal Medal,

(2021)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leigh, David Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows of the Royal Society Members of Academia Europaea Living people Academics of the University of Manchester British chemists Fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry Alumni of the University of Sheffield Academics of the University of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Warwick 1963 births