Geoffrey Alan Stuart Ozin FRSC is a British chemist, currently Tier 1

Canada Research Chair Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Program goals The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...

in Materials Chemistry and Distinguished University Professor at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 ...

. Ozin is the recipient of numerous awards for his research on nanomaterials, including the

Meldola Medal and Prize The Meldola Medal and Prize was awarded annually from 1921 to 1979 by the Chemical Society and from 1980 to 2008 by the Royal Society of Chemistry to a British chemist who was under 32 years of age for promising original investigations in chemist ...

in 1972 and the Rutherford Memorial Medal in 1982. He won the

Albert Einstein World Award of Science The Albert Einstein World Award for Science is an annual award given by the World Cultural Council "as a means of recognition and encouragement for scientific and technological research and development", with special consideration for researches ...

in 2011, the Royal Society of Chemistry's

Centenary Prize The Centenary Prize is an award granted annually by the United Kingdom-based Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to up to three "outstanding chemists, who are also exceptional communicators, from overseas". The prize, established in 1947, and fir ...

in 2015, and the

Humboldt Prize The Humboldt Prize, the Humboldt-Forschungspreis in German, also known as the Humboldt Research Award, is an award given by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany to internationally renowned scientists and scholars who work outside of G ...

in 2005 and 2019. He has co-founded three university spin-off companies: Torrovap in 1985, which manufactures

metal vapor synthesis In chemistry, metal vapor synthesis (MVS) is a method for preparing metal complexes by combining freshly produced metal atoms or small particles with ligands. In contrast to the high reactivity of such freshly produced metal atoms, bulk metals typ ...

scientific instrumentation; Opalux in 2006, which develops tunable

photonic crystals A photonic crystal is an optical nanostructure in which the refractive index changes periodically. This affects the propagation of light in the same way that the structure of natural crystals gives rise to X-ray diffraction and that the atomic ...

; and Solistra in 2019, which develops photocatalysts and photoreactors for

hydrogen production Hydrogen production is the family of industrial methods for generating hydrogen gas. As of 2020, the majority of hydrogen (∼95%) is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of ...

from carbon dioxide and methane.

Early life and education

Initially planning on entering the family fashion and tailor business, he entered King's College London in 1962, the first member of his family to attend university. Ozin graduated with a first-class honours degree in chemistry from King's College London in 1965, and obtained his PhD in inorganic chemistry at Oriel College, Oxford in 1967 with Prof. Ian R. Beattie. He then was an Imperial Chemical Industries postdoctoral fellow at the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

from 1967-1969. In 1969, he began his independent career at the

as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1972, and full Professor in 1977.

References

1943 births Living people Alumni of King's College London Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Academic staff of the University of Toronto Canada Research Chairs Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureates Fellows of the Royal Society of Chemistry Inorganic chemists Solid state chemists {{chemist-stub