A chemist who discovered the workings behind a metathesis catalyst containing ruthenium has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Using work done by Yves Chauvin of the French Oil Institute, Professor Robert Grubbs of the California Institute of Technology was able to reveal how the reaction works in conjunction with Richard Schrock at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Metathesis describes a changing relationship involving two molecules using a double bond to link to carbon atoms.

During metathesis – which literally means "changing places" – these bonds swap over, exchanging the link as the catalytic reaction is sparked by metal atoms.

To demonstrate the process two jury members took to the floor with dance partners – exchanging partners as the dance progressed in the same way as the bonds disband and regroup.

The molecules are effectively cut in half and then reassembled to form new compounds.

Professor Grubbs discovered that this process could be harnessed using a ruthenium catalyst, establishing the benchmark for catalytic reactions.

This discovery of what the Nobel jury called "an even better catalyst" precipitated a major breakthrough in the chemical landscape over the last decade, with applications in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural and plastics industries to create ca huge variety of substances and materials.

The jury explained: "This year's Nobel Prize laureates in chemistry have made metathesis into one of organic chemistry's most important reactions."


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