Roald Hoffmann

Name:    Roald Hoffmann
Date of birth:   18 July 1937   
Research Priorities: electronic structure of molecules, molecular orbitals, theory of shapes, spectra
and reactions of molecules, organic, inorganic and extended structures, behaviour of matter under
high pressure, chemistry teaching, literature
Roald Hoffmann is a US chemist and author. For his research on chemical reactions he received the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1981, together with Kenichi Fukui from Japan. He has also written poetry
and non‐fiction books on the connections between chemistry, philosophy and poetry.
Academic career
1996     Professor of Humane Letters, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
1974     Professor of Physical Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
1968     Professor of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
1965     Associate Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA  
1962 ‐ 1965   Junior Fellow, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
1962     Doctorate, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA  
1960 ‐ 1961 Visiting Student, University of Moscow, Moscow, USSR
1958     BA in Chemistry, Columbia University, New York City, USA
1955 ‐ 1958   Degree in Chemistry, Columbia University, New York City, USA
Functions in Scientific Societies and Committees
1987 ‐ 1990   Member, Council, National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Washington D.C., USA

1970 ‐ 1974   Member, Advisory Panel, Chemistry, National Science Foundation (NFS), Washington
D.C., USA
Member, Board of Overseers, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, USA
Honours and Memberships
2017 Primo Levi Prize, German Chemical Society (GDCh) and Societa Chimica Italiana (SCI),
Rome, Italy
2011   Otto Warburg Lecture, Otto Warburg Chemistry Foundation, University of Bayreuth,
Bayreuth, Germany
2011   Lomonosov Gold Medal, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Russia
2009   James T. Grady‐James H. Stack Award for Interpreting Chemistry for the Public,
Washington D.C., USA
2008   Lichtenberg Medal, The Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Lower
Saxony, Göttingen, Germany
2006   Gold Medal, American Institute of Chemists (AIC), Philadelphia, USA
since 2002   Honorary Member, Chemical Society of Japan, Japan
since 2000   Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany  
since 1999 Honorary Member, GDCh
since 1998   Corresponding Member, North Rhine‐Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Düsseldorf,
Germany
1996     Pimentel Award in Chemical Education, American Chemical Society (ACS), USA
1994   Centennial Medal of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University,
Cambridge, USA
1990   Priestley Medal, ACS, USA
since 1989   Honorary Member, The Royal Institution, London, USA
since 1988   Foreign Member, Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, Finland  
since 1988   Foreign Member, Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, USSR
1986 ‐ 1987   Tage Erlander Professor, Swedish Research Council, Stockholm, Sweden
1986   Joseph Priestley Award, Dickinson College, Carlisle, USA
1986   Sciences Award in the Chemical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, USA
since 1985   Foreign Member, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden
since 1984   Foreign Member, Royal Society, UK

since 1984   Member, American Philosophical Society, USA
1983   National Medal of Science for Chemistry, Presidential Committee on the National
Medal of Science, USA
1982   Prize in Inorganic Chemistry, ACS, USA
1981   William H. Nichols Medal, New York Section, ACS, USA
1981   Nobel Prize in Chemistry (shared with Kenichi Fukui), Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences, Sweden
1978   Guggenheim Fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York
City, USA
since 1978   Member, International Academy of Quantum Molecular Sciences (IAQMS)
1973   Arthur C. Cope Award in Organic Chemistry (shared with R.B. Woodward), ACS, USA  
since 1972   Member, National Academy of Sciences, USA
since 1971   Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, USA
1970   Prize, IAQMS
1969   Award in Pure Chemistry, ACS, USA
Roald Hoffmann has been awarded more than 30 Honorary Doctorates

Research Priorities

Roald Hoffmann is a US chemist and author. For his research on chemical reactions he received the
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1981, together with Kenichi Fukui from Japan. He has also written
poetry and non‐fiction books on the connections between chemistry, philosophy and poetry.
Roald Hoffmann’s research is focused on applied theoretical chemistry, developing mathematical or
computer‐simulated methods for calculating simple orbital‐based explanations from electron
structures which can be applied to all fields of chemistry. Together with US Chemist Robert B.
Woodward, Hoffmann developed the “Woodward‐Hoffmann rules”, a set of quantum mechanical
rules that can be used to predict the simplicity or difficulty of certain chemical reactions. The
“Woodward‐Hoffmann rules” were developed based on the total synthesis of vitamin B12 carried
out by Woodward. Unusual ring closure reactions that were observed experimentally led
Woodward and Hoffmann to the so‐called rules of symmetry. These rules are an important way of
predicting suitable conditions for certain organic reactions (pericyclic reactions) and the
stereochemistry (three‐dimensional structure of atoms) of their products.
Throughout his scientific career, Roald Hoffmann has always considered himself to be a teacher and
pedagogical considerations are of particular importance to him in his research. Thus, he asks how
chemistry is “made” and what function it has in culture and society. These reflections have led to numerous essays and books on the philosophy of science and ethics. As an author he also publishes poetry, essays, books and plays, thereby building a bridge between science, philosophy and poetry