Fraser Stoddart (1942–2024)

Abstract

Several excellent obituaries^1,2,3 have documented Fraser’s accomplishments. Here, we aim to offer some insights into his philosophy and his distinctive approach to life and science. Whenever possible, we have incorporated Fraser’s own words from his writings^4,5,6,7, presentations^8,9,10, and personal interactions.

Fraser began his independent career at the University of Sheffield, following a postdoctoral stint at Queen’s University in Canada, where he became fascinated with the chemistry of crown ether compounds. His interest in interlocked molecules can be traced to his three-year secondment at the ICI Corporate Laboratory in the UK⁷. There, he met Howard Colquhoun (later, at the University of Reading) and together they set out to determine whether crown ether complexation could be extended beyond alkyl ammonium ions to transition metal ammines. In Fraser’s words, “a treasure trove of precious metal complexes was unearthed from the [ICI] basement”¹¹. The pair observed that neutral platinum ammines could in fact form crystalline adducts with crown ethers. Structures of the complexes were solved by Fraser’s long-time collaborator David Williams (Imperial College) using X-ray diffraction. Fraser would get particularly excited whenever a letter — or later, an email — arrived from David with the latest crystal structure.