St Andrews professor honoured with prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry prize

Professor Eli Zysman-Colman from the School of Chemistry has been named winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s (RSC) Tilden Prize for Chemistry, for the pioneering development of mechanophotocatalysts, and the use of organic thermally activated delayed fluorescence compounds, to drive sustainable photocatalysis. 

He receives £5000, a medal and a certificate. 

Professor Zysman-Colmans’ group works to design and develop materials that interact with light, correlating their structure to their properties. These photoactive materials are then exploited across a range of technologies, including in displays like the ones in mobile phones, as sensors for volatile compounds like explosives, the imaging of cells, and as photocatalysts. 

On receiving the prize, Professor Zysman-Colman said: “I am honoured and humbled to be receiving this prize, which is also a reflection of the tremendously creative science that my group has produced over the years.”

The Tilden Prize for Chemistry 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. 

Dr Helen Pain, CEO of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “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. 

“I extend my warmest congratulations to Tilden Prize for Chemistry. 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.  

Find out more: rsc.li/prizes