Dr. Martín Abadi
Jean-Marie Lehn MEMBERS
Professor & Chair of Chemistry of Complex Systems, University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Study (USIAS)
Rosheim, France
More Info
  • 1994
  • Chemical Engineering (C.H.E.)
More Info
  • 1994
  • Chemical Engineering (C.H.E.)
Election Remark
Jean-Marie Lehn (born 30 September 1939) is a French chemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen in 1987 for his synthesis of cryptands.

Lehn was an early innovator in the field of supramolecular chemistry, i.e., the chemistry of host–guest molecular assemblies created by intermolecular interactions, and continues to innovate in this field.

He described the process by which molecules recognize each other. Drugs, for example, "know" which cell to destroy and which to let live.

As of January 2006, his group has published 790 peer-reviewed articles in chemistry literature.

In 1966, he was appointed a position as maître de conférences (assistant professor) at the Chemistry Department of the University of Strasbourg.

His research focused on the physical properties of molecules, synthesizing compounds specifically designed for exhibiting a given property, in order to better understand how that property was related to structure.
 
In 1968, he achieved the synthesis of cage-like molecules, comprising a cavity inside which another molecule could be lodged. Organic chemistry enabled him to engineer cages with the desired shape, thus only allowing a certain type of molecule to lodge itself in the cage.

This was the premise for an entire new field in chemistry, sensors. Such mechanisms also play a great role in molecular biology.
 
These cryptands, as Lehn dubbed them, became his main center of interest, and led to his definition of a new type of chemistry, "supramolecular chemistry", which instead of studying the bonds inside one molecule, looks at intermolecular attractions, and what would be later called "fragile objects", such as micelles, polymers, or clays.
 
In 1980, he was elected to become a teacher at the prestigious Collège de France, and in 1987 was awarded the Nobel Prize, alongside Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen for his works on cryptands.
 
He is currently a member of the Reliance Innovation Council which was formed by Reliance Industries Limited, India.
 
As of 2021, Lehn has an h-index of 154 according to Google Scholar[6] and of 137 (946 documents) according to Scopus.

He was elected as member of the European Academy of Engineering in 1994.