The Aminoff Prize 2013

AsiaNet 50637

STOCKHOLM, Sept.13, 2012 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS) has awarded the Gregori

Aminoff Prize in Crystallography 2013 to:

    Carlo Gatti

    Institute of Molecular Sciences and Technology, Italian National Research

Council (CNR-ISTM)

    Milan, Italy

    and

    MarkSpackman

    University of Western Australia

    Crawley, Australia

    "for developing experimental and theoretical methods to study electron

density in crystals, and using them to determine molecular and crystalline

properties".

    Nature of crystals measured by X-rays and interpreted in Italy and Australia

    Crystallography is the science of the arrangement of atoms in solid

materials. To reveal the atomic structure of a crystal, an 'X-ray diffraction

method' may be used. In this method an X-ray beam strikes a crystal, showing a

diffraction pattern that, in turn, can be transformed into a 3D model of the

crystal. This technique is now widely used in geology, physics, chemistry,

biology, medicine and materials engineering. Purposes include determining

mineral properties, proteins and DNA structures, and developing strong new

materials.

    Both Carlo Gatti and Mark Spackman have independently developed concepts

for interpreting electron density distributions related to quantum chemistry

theory, using multipole analysis of high-quality X-ray diffraction data. This

approach has, in particular, significantly demonstrated and quantified the role

of hydrogen bonding in molecular systems. 'Charge density topology' is

important for classification of the type and strength of chemical bonding in

solid compounds and molecules.

    Read more about the Laureates' research at http://kva.se

    The Prize will be awarded at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' Annual

Meeting on 5 April 2013.

    Prize amount: SEK 100,000, to be shared equally between the Laureates.

    THE LAUREATES

    Carlo Gatti, Italian citizen. Born in 1954. PhD in Chemistry (1978) at

University of Milan. Senior Research Scientist at Institute of Molecular

Sciences and Technology, Italian National Research Council (CNR-ISTM), Italy.

    http://www.istm.cnr.it/~gatti

    Mark Spackman, Australian citizen. Born in 1954. PhD in Theoretical

Chemistry (1989) at University of Western Australia. Wintrop Professor and Head

of school at the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Western

Australia, Australia.

    http://www.uwa.edu.au/people/mark.spackman

    Press contact

    Annika Moberg, Communications officer, RSAS

    +46-8-6739522

    +46-70-6739690

    annika.moberg@kva.se

    Experts from the Prize committee

    Sven Lidin, Professor of Inorganic chemistry, Lund University

    +46-46-2224769

    +46-72-7291030

    sven.lidin@polymat.lth.se

    Hans Annersten, Professor em. of Mineral chemistry and petrology, Uppsala

University

    +46-18-4712550

    +46-70-3304939

    hans.annersten@geo.uu.se

    SOURCE: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences - Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien (KVA)