CSIRO chemist on world’s top 100 list

Published to mark the International Year of Chemistry, 2011 (IYC2011), the list was compiled on the basis of the highest citation impact scores for chemistry papers (articles and reviews) published by individual chemists between 2000 and 2010.

Under that criteria, Thompson Reuters ranked Dr Rizzardo at 18th.

The company said that as approximately a million chemists were recorded in the journal publications it indexed during the last decade, the Top 100 Chemists list represented the top hundredth of one percent.

Dr Rizzardo published 52 papers, had 91.2 citations per paper and was the only Australian to be ranked in the top 20. CSIRO was the only Australian research organisation to be named on the list.

“We at CSIRO are tremendously proud of Ezio’s achievements,” CSIRO Group Executive, Manufacturing, Materials and Minerals, Dr Calum Drummond said.

“For him to be ranked 18th in the world in terms of citations over the past 10 years, out of hundreds of thousands of chemists is, a truly outstanding accomplishment.”

Dr Rizzardo’s research has focused on developing methods for controlling free radical polymerisation. His breakthrough Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) technology has led to the development of an entirely new area of science.

“RAFT is the ultimate polymer building technology and allows for the development of new materials with controlled structure and architecture,” Dr Drummond said.

“The impact of this ground breaking science will be felt on many aspects of our daily life and will grow exponentially over the coming years.”

RAFT is now one of the most studied areas in polymer science with more than 10,000 journal publications appearing during the past decade.

Commercially there are over 500 active patents using RAFT with new products being both commercialised and researched in a range of fields including: drug delivery; biocompatible materials with increased function; paints and coatings to meet stricter environmental guidelines; targeted personal care and cosmetics; synthetic rubbers for improved performance; and, additives to promote fuel efficiency.

Dr Rizzardo graduated with first class Honours from the University of New South Wales and was awarded a Doctorate by The University of Sydney for his studies of the photochemistry of organic nitro compounds.

IYC 2011 was proclaimed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC).