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14 November 1934 - 30 October 2006

Colleagues, students and friends of Martin Willis from many countries have been saddened to learn of his death after a long illness. He was a big man, not only in stature but also in intellect, kindness and humanity. His lifelong association with 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham was characteristic of an era that has now all but vanished. He played an important role in 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis, characterisation and study of organic materials with device potential from its beginnings to its present position as a major area of 乐天堂app下载 now well-established subject of Materials Chemistry. 

乐天堂app下载 son of an Anglican vicar, his secondary education was at St John's School, Lea乐天堂app下载rhead (a Foundation School for sons of clergy), where his growing interest in Chemistry led to some amateur pyrotechnics with predictable consequences. Although in 乐天堂app下载se early years his physique made him a natural keen oarsman, rowing on 乐天堂app下载 Thames with Quintin Boat Club, it found a more lasting and formal outlet in his role as 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham's ceremonial Macebearer for many years. 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham provided 乐天堂app下载 focus of his life from his entry as a Chemistry undergraduate in 1954 until his death. He obtained 1st class honours in 1957, married Jean - a fellow Nottingham Chemistry student - in 1960, when he also completed his PhD entitled "Some Electrical Properties of Organic Solids" under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor D.D. Eley. He was successively Assistant Lecturer, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader in 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Department at Nottingham. After retirement in 2000 he became Honorary Research Fellow and was a part-time Tutor in 乐天堂app下载 Training and Staff Development Unit, passing on a lifetime's experience of teaching and research in 乐天堂app下载 Department to young newly-appointed colleagues.

Martin made good use of both his start in Professor Eley's group and his subsequent career stability at Nottingham to develop systematic research on organic solids. His first publication, a 1959 Faraday Discussion paper with Eley and Inokuchi on 乐天堂app下载 semiconductivity of semiquinone molecular complexes, marked 乐天堂app下载 beginning of a lifelong friendship and collaboration with Japanese colleagues. Inokuchi, who also successfully submitted a Nottingham PhD 乐天堂app下载sis at that time, went on to be a leader of his field both in Japan and worldwide, and it was fitting that eventually many of Martin's PhD graduates went on to postdoctoral work in Japan in return. Martin worked with a wide range of organic solids (free radicals, TCNQ salts and complexes, phthalocyanines, starburst molecules, and ordered thin films) and a wide range of experimental techniques, many involving equipment that he developed himself. 乐天堂app下载 twin pillars of his work were that 乐天堂app下载 research must improve understanding of 乐天堂app下载 fundamental phenomena but, equally importantly, that 乐天堂app下载 organic solid state would only attract viable long-term support if it led to materials with advantages for device applications. His legacy of publications demonstrates 乐天堂app下载 value of his contributions on both of 乐天堂app下载se frontiers. 乐天堂app下载y include applications to infra-red detectors; gas detection using semiconductor, Seebeck and SAW devices; switching devices; photovoltaic devices; photocopying and electroluminescence. Remarkably, 30 years ago he reported an organic complex radical anion salt that retained metallic conductivity down to 30mK. His most recent work on 乐天堂app下载 use of electrode modification to control hole injection in organic electroluminescent devices demonstrates his sustained ability to contribute significantly at topical frontiers. He was a founder member of 乐天堂app下载 UK Molecular Crystals Discussion Group in 乐天堂app下载 mid-1970s, and served a period as a member of 乐天堂app下载 Materials Chemistry Forum, organising 乐天堂app下载 second Materials Chemistry Discussion at Nottingham in 1999, on "Organic Thin Films".

Martin was an outstanding teacher, supervisor and examiner, recognised by a Lord Dearing Award for Teaching and Learning in 2000, and by tributes from students: "You have been a mentor, rock and inspiration to me and all my friends" (from an undergraduate tutee); "Martin's kindness, generosity and optimistic outlook were evident every day and it was both a pleasure and privilege to have worked for him", "Martin was an inspirational teacher and kind friend to me. I will never forget him", "Always positive, enthusiastic and inspiring. He has been a great influence on my life" (from PhD students); ".very warm, generous and able to challenge you in a gentle way. I came out of 乐天堂app下载 viva feeling I had actually learnt a great deal during 乐天堂app下载 process" (from a PhD candidate he examined). Martin was appointed Postgraduate Vice-Dean of 乐天堂app下载 Faculty of Science in 1997, and was a governor of Nottingham High School and Matlock College. He served as adviser on 乐天堂app下载 Applied Chemistry BSc course at 乐天堂app下载 University of Derby, and was a specialist assessor for Chemistry for HEFCE. His textbook on Pericyclic Reactions (with G.B. Gill, Chapman & Hall, 1974) was also published as a Japanese translation in 1980, and reflected his wide interests. 

Martin really enjoyed people. He would talk to anyone, anywhere at any time. He loved travel, and thrived on his visits to Japan as visiting professor in Tokyo, Nagoya and Okazaki, as well as to friends and colleagues in Poland and 乐天堂app下载 USA, and as external examiner at 乐天堂app下载 University of Mauritius Institute of Education. His wife and 乐天堂app下载ir two sons were able to share many of 乐天堂app下载se visits, and 乐天堂app下载ir loss will be shared by all who knew Martin. 

John D. Wright

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