Eric Derouane - obituary of the former EFCATS president
EU funded Transnational Access Programme
2005 Eugene J. Houdry Award to Henrik Topsøe
Eric
Derouane died on 17th March 2008 from a heart attack in his home in Luz, Lagos,
Portugal. With him, the Catalysis Community has lost one of its strongest and
brilliant scientists.
Born on 4th July 1944 at Péruwelz (Hainaut), Belgium, Eric Derouane obtained a Licence degree at the University of Liège, B (1965), a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Chemistry in Prof. J. Turkevich's laboratory at Princeton University, USA (1966) and a Doctorat ès Sciences (PhD) at the University of Liège, B (1968), under the supervision of Prof. Louis d'Or. He stayed one year (1966-1967) in France at the "Centre d'Etudes Nucléaires de Saclay, Service de Physique du Solide et de Résonance Magnétique" in Prof. A. Abragam's laboratory, and then in USA at Stanford University as visiting Scholar in Prof. M. Boudart's laboratory (1969-1970). He became Research Assistant of the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique" (FNRS) and Lecturer at the University of Liège, B (1969-1973). In 1973, he was appointed as Professor at the "Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix" (FUNDP) in Namur, B, where he established in 1976 and was Director of the Laboratory of Catalysis up to 1995. He was in 1979 in Sabbatical leave as Research Fellow with J. Sinfelt at Exxon Res. & Develop. Corp., Linden, NJ, USA, and in 1982-84 as Research Scientist, Head of Exploratory Catalysis Synthesis Group at Mobil Res. & Develop. Corp., Central Research Laboratory, Princeton, NJ, USA. In 1995, he left Namur, became Full Professor and was appointed, after Prof. J. Joyner, as Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Innovative Catalysis (LCIC) at the University of Liverpool until 2002. In 2003, he obtained the Gulbenkian Professorship at the University of Algarve at Faro, P, where he was Director of the Chemical Research Centre and became later Invited Professor at the "Instituto Superior Tecnico" (IST) of the Technical University of Lisbon, where he had extensive cooperation with the group led by Fernando Ramôa Ribeiro.
His main fields of interest dealt with catalysis over zeolites in general, supported metals, novel materials and mixed oxides in particular, and alkane upgrading and fine chemicals more specifically. One of Eric's most striking qualities was his acute interest for every new scientific discovery and development and for industrial applications of his findings.
Eric Derouane had a very high and tremendous working efficiency. He was always attracted by new concepts and had a very high intellectual mobility, being interested and quite active in many domains. Among them one can mention his interest in superconductors, in ZSM-5/MFI new zeolite in the early 70s, leading to a 30 year collaboration with J.C. Védrine, and in the concept and theory of confinement effect and molecular traffic control in porous materials, the study of the reaction mechanisms using isotopic labelling and in-situ MAS-NMR in the 80s, combinatorial catalysis and high throughput technology in the late 90s,.
During his 20 years of dedicated service at the University of Namur (FUNDP), Eric Derouane revealed his tremendous enthusiasm for new concepts and his vast intellectual flexibility. These ideas had an important impact on the catalysis and zeolite communities, and are still in use today. In 1986, he was elected as Head of the Chemistry Department, one of the largest departments of the University He then embarked upon an impressive re-structuring programme to improve the working and academic efficiency. The model, which he initiated, is still in service today within the Chemistry Department. The Laboratory of Catalysis, which he created, was recognized as an outstanding school of scientific research and training.
From early on, Eric Derouane realized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. That is why he played a key role in the creation of the Institute for Studies in Interface Sciences (ISIS) at Namur in 1987. This institute assembled laboratories of physics and chemistry working on the interface science and materials related to zeolites and lasted 20 years. Eric Derouane also paid heed to technological transfer towards industries. After his experience gained through his sabbatical positions at the Exxon and at Mobil, he developed many collaborations with industrial partners, which were further enhanced by his serving as a consultant to industrial associates. Many companies benefited from his outstanding contributions. All these accomplishments constructed a solid basis for his future developments in Liverpool and in Faro.
At Liverpool, the aim of the LCIC was to promote creative fundamental catalytic science targeted at solving industrial challenges. Eric Derouane defined innovation as "the creation of a new or better product or process, implying creativity, usefulness, and application". Towards this end, the LCIC had industrial affiliates as partners for research and brought together physicists, material scientists, chemists, chemical engineers and biologists. It developed expertise in heterogeneous, homogeneous and biomimetic catalyses, as well as in catalytic surface science. Eric Derouane organized a scientific committee of international experts, including Professors M. Boudart, G. Froment, W. Keim, G. Somorjai, and Sir J.M. Thomas, to assess the laboratory's scientific achievements and ensure that the highest standards were maintained. Under his leadership the LCIC became an internationally renowned centre in catalysis research. It was the largest catalysis centre in the UK, bringing together industries such as Air Products, Astra Zeneca, British Petroleum, British Gas, Catalytica, Chiroscience, Eastman Chemicals, Glaxo-Wellcome, Haldor Topsoe SA, ICI, Johnson Matthey, Millennium Oil, Pfizer and Syntroleum to participate in highly creative projects via the Industrial Affiliation Scheme and the Fine Chemicals Forum.
At Liverpool, the LCIC became a centre of scientific exchanges and collaborations. Eric Derouane established links with many UK and international laboratories, including the "Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse"(IRC, Lyon F), the Institute of Applied Catalysis (iAc, UK), the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis (Novosibirsk, RU), the Institute of Applied Catalysis (ACA, Berlin, D), the Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (Berlin, D), ICAT (Åhrus, DK), the Laboratory of Zeolite Catalysis (Lisbon, P) and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China). Eric Derouane has created in 1997 an European Associated Laboratory "Laboratory for Innovative Catalysis" between LCIC/University of Liverpool and IRC/CNRS .
In 1999, he co-founded with Prof. Stan Roberts in 1999 and became director of the spin-off Liverpool-based company "Stylacats". Over the ensuing years Roy Hatton being the new director, he provided wise council to the Board and inventive ideas for the scientific team. The company pioneered many different technologies (catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation, microwave-induced reactions, enzyme mimetics) before its assets were transferred to Phoenix Chemicals in 2004.
At the University of Faro, Eric Derouane led a research project, jointly with the Instituto Tecnico de Lisboa, on Friedel-Crafts reactions. With Fernando Ramôa Ribeiro's Zeolite group the collaboration included various joint research projects as well the co-organisation of a series of NATO Advanced Studies Institutes, on topics on catalysis ranging from the conversion of light alkanes to the use of high-throughput methodologies for the development of new catalysts and catalytic processes.
Eric Derouane also greatly contributed to the development and strengthening of the European catalysis community. First, he created in 1975 the European Association in Catalysis (EUROCAT), a consortium of European laboratories under the auspices of the Council of Europe and inspired them to work on the challenging problem of standardisation of catalyst characterisation: Euro-Pt1 to -Pt4, Euro-Ni1 & -Ni2, Eurocat zeolite, Eurocat oxides, etc. This Eurocat group paved the way to the creation of the European Federation of Catalysis Societies (EFCATS) and of the François Gault lectureship. He was elected President of EFCATS in 1995 for two years.
He became Editor-in-chief of J. Mol. Catal. in 1982 and was member of the Editorial Boards of many scientific journals and of scientific committees of many congresses and colloquia. He organized many congresses himself, such as the famous NATO ASI in Portugal, jointly with F. Lemos and F. Ramôa Ribeiro
Eric Derouane's contributions to catalysis have been recognised by many awards and academic honors, among them the Wauters Prize (1964), Mund Prize (1967) of the "Société Royale de Chimie", the Stas-Spring Prize (1971) and the Adolphe Wetrems Prize (1975) for the most significant Invention of the Year of the "Académie Royale de Belgique", the Rosetta Briegel-Barton Lecturership at the University of Oklahoma (1973), the Prize of the "Cercle of Alumni de la Fondation Universitaire de Belgique" (1980), the Ciapetta Lectureship of the North American Catalysis Society (1981), the Catalysis Lectureship of the Société Chimique de France (1993) and the prestigious Francqui Prize, B (1994), the highest honor for all Sciences in Belgium, etc.
He was made "Officier de l'Ordre Léopold" in Belgium (1990), corresponding Member of the "Académie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux Arts de Belgique" (1991), member of the "New York Academy of Sciences" and Associate Member of the "European Academy of Arts, Sciences and Humanities". He was conferred Doctor Honoris Causa, Technical University of Lisbon (1996)
Throughout his whole career he had consulting activities for many companies such as Akzo Chemie, NL; BP Oil, UK; Catalytica, USA; Exxon Research & Engineering Co, USA; H. Topsoe SA, DK; Mobil Res. & Devel. Corp., USA; Petronas, Malaysia; PQ Corp. USA; Rhône Poulenc, F and Symyx, USA
He authored ca 400 scientific papers, co-authored 11 books and was designated inventor on 61 patents
Eric Derouane attracted many students and foreign scholars to his different laboratories in Namur, Liverpool and Faro. His energy, his clarity of mind and his very broad knowledge impressed his students, researchers and colleagues. He was an outstanding and demanding professor, always taking time to share his knowledge with his students and was highly respected by thousands of them. His courses were always clear, highly structured and easily understandable. He knew how to share his scientific passion with others, especially with young researchers. It was very often heard that his courses were not merely lectures, but outstanding performances, akin to a "theatrical show", which highlights his formidable teaching capacity. Among his former students and post-doc researchers, there are many scientists who today occupy key positions in universities, industries and different organizations. All of them will remember his brilliant and rigorous scientific approach, and no doubt they all will greatly miss him.
Jacques C. Védrine, Michel Che, Paris
Fernando Ramôa Ribeiro, Lisboa
Jianliang Xiao, Liverpool
Bao-Lian Su, Namur
21 April 2008
22.04.08
Through the EU funded FP6 'Structuring the European Research Area'
Programme the state-of-the-art facilities and expertise at CenTACat are now
open for access to researchers throughout the EU and Associated States. Full
funding for travel and living expenses is provided for users to access the facilities
for periods ranging from 1 week to 3 months. For an application form and further
details please visit our web site at:
http://www.centacat.qub.ac.uk/access/index.html
07.12.06
23.03.06
The 2005 Eugene J. Houdry Award in Applied Catalysis to Dr. Henrik Topsøe of the Haldor Topsøe Research Laboratories, Lyngby, Denmark. The award was sponsored by Süd-Chemie, Inc., and administered by the North American Catalysis Society. The purpose of the Award is to recognize and encourage individual contributions in the field of catalysis with emphasis on the development of new and improved catalysts and processes representing outstanding advances in their useful application. Henrik's work and leadership have made a significant contribution to the understanding of hydrotreating catalysts. Henrik has been an essential contributor to many commercial applications on hydrodesulfurization and other catalysts and one of the principal forces behind the position that Haldor Topsøe A/S holds in commercial deployments in catalysts and processes. “Henrik Topsøe’s work provided the concepts and definitive evidence for the CoMoS description of the synergy between MoS2 structures and Co and Ni promoters.” “His passionate efforts to bring state-of-the-art tools and concepts into the solution of complex industrial problems are without equal in the international catalysis community today.” With all this Henrik has been a prolific industrial contributor to the scientific literature. Also, “he has been a key intellectual and physical motivational force behind the emergence of the academic Danish catalysis community.” Henrik will give a plenary lecture and be recognized at the Spring 2005 North American Catalysis Society meeting in Philadelphia. More information on the NACS home page: www.nacatsoc.org
9.11.04
During the meeting in Sophia (Bulgaria) on August 26th, 2007, the EFCATS Council elected the EFCATS Officers for the period 2007-2009:
12.12.07