George Porter

George Porter

George Porter, Baron Porter of Luddenham, OM, FRS (6 December 1920 – 31 August 2002) was a British chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 for his work on the study of extremely fast chemical reactions, effected by disturbing the equilibrium by means of very short pulses of energy. He shared the prize with Ronald George Wreyford Norrish and Manfred Eigen.

Early Life and Education

George Porter was born in Stainforth, South Yorkshire, England. He attended Thorne Grammar School and later studied at the University of Leeds, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in 1941. During World War II, he worked on radar research at the University of Birmingham. After the war, he pursued a PhD at the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Ronald Norrish.

Research and Career

Porter's most notable work was in the field of photochemistry, particularly his development of the technique of flash photolysis. This technique allowed scientists to observe the intermediate stages of chemical reactions, which occur on extremely short timescales. Flash photolysis involves the use of a short burst of light to initiate a reaction, followed by a second light source to probe the reaction as it progresses.

In 1955, Porter became a professor at the University of Sheffield, where he continued his research on fast reactions. In 1966, he was appointed Director of the Royal Institution in London, a position he held until 1985. During his tenure, he also served as Fullerian Professor of Chemistry.

Nobel Prize and Later Work

In 1967, George Porter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Norrish and Eigen for their studies of extremely fast chemical reactions. This work laid the foundation for the field of femtochemistry, which involves the study of chemical reactions on the femtosecond timescale.

After his time at the Royal Institution, Porter continued to be active in science policy and education. He was a strong advocate for the public understanding of science and frequently appeared on television and radio to discuss scientific topics.

Honors and Legacy

Porter was knighted in 1972 and was made a life peer as Baron Porter of Luddenham in 1990. He was also a member of the Order of Merit, one of the highest honors in the United Kingdom.

Porter's work has had a lasting impact on the field of chemistry, particularly in the study of reaction dynamics. His development of flash photolysis opened new avenues for research and has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of chemical processes.

See Also

• Photochemistry
• Flash photolysis
• Femtochemistry
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry