Joseph Chatt (6 November 1914 – 19 May 1994) was a renowned British researcher in the area of

inorganic In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...

and

organometallic chemistry Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and so ...

. His name is associated with the description of the pi-bond between transition metals and

alkene In organic chemistry, an alkene is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. Alkene is often used as synonym of olefin, that is, any hydrocarbon containing one or more double bonds.H. Stephen Stoker (2015): General, Organic, an ...

s, the

Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model The Dewar–Chatt–Duncanson model is a model in organometallic chemistry that explains the chemical bonding in transition metal alkene complexes. The model is named after Michael J. S. Dewar, Joseph Chatt and L. A. Duncanson. The alkene donat ...

. Chatt received his Ph.D. at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

under the direction of F. G. Mann for research on

organoarsenic Organoarsenic chemistry is the chemistry of compounds containing a chemical bond between arsenic and carbon. A few organoarsenic compounds, also called "organoarsenicals," are produced industrially with uses as insecticides, herbicides, and fu ...

and

organophosphorus Organophosphorus compounds are organic compounds containing phosphorus. They are used primarily in pest control as an alternative to chlorinated hydrocarbons that persist in the environment. Some organophosphorus compounds are highly effective in ...

compounds and their complexes with transition metals. He was employed at Imperial Chemical Industries from 1949 to 1962, during which time he, often in collaboration with Bernard L. Shaw, published influential work on the

metal hydride In chemistry, a hydride is formally the anion of hydrogen( H−). The term is applied loosely. At one extreme, all compounds containing covalently bound H atoms are called hydrides: water (H2O) is a hydride of oxygen, ammonia is a hydride of ...

s and metal alkene complexes. During this period, he reported the first example of C-H bond activation by a transition metal and one of the first examples of a transition metal hydride. In the 1960s, Chatt moved to a professorship at the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

and subsequently assumed directorship of the Nitrogen Fixation Unit under the Agricultural Research Council. Using the

transition metal dinitrogen complex Transition metal dinitrogen complexes are coordination compounds that contain transition metals as ion centers the dinitrogen molecules (N2) as ligands. Historical background Transition metal complexes of N2 have been studied since 1965 whe ...

W(N₂)₂(

dppe 1,2-Bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) is an organophosphorus compound with the formula (PhPCH) (Ph = phenyl). It is a commonly used bidentate ligand in coordination chemistry. It is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. Preparation ...

)₂, his group first demonstrated the conversion of a dinitrogen ligand into ammonia. This work provided some of the first molecular models for

nitrogen fixation Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmo ...

. Chatt authored or co-authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications. Among his many awards, he was recognized with the 1981

Wolf Prize The Wolf Prize is an international award granted in Israel, that has been presented most years since 1978 to living scientists and artists for ''"achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among people ... irrespective of natio ...

"for pioneering and fundamental contributions to synthetic transition metal chemistry, particularly transition metal hydrides and dinitrogen complexes." He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1961 and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. In 1995, a year after his death, the Unit of Nitrogen Fixation moved to Norwich and became part of the

John Innes Centre The John Innes Centre (JIC), located in Norwich, Norfolk, England, is an independent centre for research and training in plant and microbial science founded in 1910. It is a registered charity (No 223852) grant-aided by the Biotechnology and B ...

. The new building, as well as an annual lecture at the Centre, were named in his honour.The Chatt Lecture
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatt, Joseph 1914 births 1994 deaths Inorganic chemists British chemists Imperial Chemical Industries people Fellows of the Royal Society Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Wolf Prize in Chemistry laureates