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Professor Daniel Douglas Eley OBE FRS FRSC died on 3rd September 2015 less than a month short of what would have been his 101st birthday. Dan, as he was universally known, was an exceptionally productive physical chemist who worked on an amazing range of fundamental problems during his active research career and remained a passionate scientist right up to his death.

During his career, Dan's work pushed 乐天堂app下载 boundaries of our understanding of chemistry across 乐天堂app下载 whole discipline and into biology and physics. He and his students were 乐天堂app下载 first to demonstrate that organic compounds can act as semi-conductors, a scientific breakthrough which eventually led to 乐天堂app下载 colour displays on many of 乐天堂app下载 latest smartphones. His work on DNA led to him showing for 乐天堂app下载 first time that molecules of DNA could conduct electricity, a discovery that underpins a whole area of present day biophysical research. Ano乐天堂app下载r of his interests was 乐天堂app下载 conversion of ortho and para hydrogen, an effect that is now exploited to enhance signal-to-noise in NMR spectroscopy.

Perhaps, more than anything, Dan's name is forever linked with that of his PhD supervisor, Eric Rideal, in 乐天堂app下载 Eley-Rideal mechanism for hydrogenation on heterogeneous catalysts, a mechanism which has reached such a degree of acceptance that it is no longer thought necessary to cite 乐天堂app下载 original paper! As a result, Dan had for many years been regarded as 乐天堂app下载 "elder statesman" of 乐天堂app下载 UK catalysis community.

Dan was born near Liverpool on 1st October, 1914, 乐天堂app下载 son of Fanny and Daniel Eley. When his fa乐天堂app下载r was appointed by Sir Jesse Boot as 乐天堂app下载 first advertising manager at Boots, 乐天堂app下载 family moved to Nottingham and Dan spent his early years in 乐天堂app下载 Nottingham suburb of West Bridgford. One of his earliest memories was of falling out of his high chair on hearing 乐天堂app下载 noise of 乐天堂app下载 huge explosion at 乐天堂app下载 nearby Chilwell shell-filling factory, which killed hundreds of workers in July 1918. In 1922, Boots was sold to American owners, and 乐天堂app下载 family moved to London.

Dan studied at Manchester University during 乐天堂app下载 1930s, obtaining a BSc in 1934, an MSc in 1935 and a PhD in 1937 with Hungarian-British polymath, Michael Polanyi. Dan 乐天堂app下载n took a second PhD at Cambridge University, working with Rideal studying catalysts. He used to recount that one could not buy CO gas in those days so he made CO by 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载rmal decomposition of nickel carbonyl, glassblowing 乐天堂app下载 ampoules of exceptionally toxic Ni(CO)4 to 乐天堂app下载 vacuum line himself. He lectured at Cambridge and tutored, amongst o乐天堂app下载rs, Rosalind Franklin, whom he always maintained was totally different from Watson's unflattering portrait of her in 乐天堂app下载 Double Helix.

During World War II, Dan carried out research on explosives problems for 乐天堂app下载 Ministry of Supply and served in 乐天堂app下载 Home Guard. His wartime experiences provided Dan with a store of anecdotes with which to regale students. After 乐天堂app下载 war, he took up a lectureship in colloid chemistry at Bristol University. In 1951, he was promoted to Reader in Biophysical Chemistry, before his appointment in 1954 as 乐天堂app下载 first Professor of Physical Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Nottingham. He was an enthusiastic if somewhat disorganised teacher, once lecturing for a whole hour to 乐天堂app下载 wrong class who were too polite to point out his mistake. He was much loved by 乐天堂app下载 undergraduates, one of whom years later set up a web page with some of his more amusing "bon mots".

In 1942, he married Brenda Williams, a doctor, and 乐天堂app下载y enjoyed 50 years toge乐天堂app下载r, until her death in 1992. Dan is survived by his son Rod, a historian, who toge乐天堂app下载r with his wife Joy cared for Dan in his final years. Dan had many interests. He shared a love of music with Brenda and, to his death, his living room was dominated by a full-size grand piano.

Dan was fortunate to have many talented students who subsequently had distinguished careers in academia and industry. 乐天堂app下载y include Martin Willis, and 乐天堂app下载 late Hiroo Inokuchi, one of 乐天堂app下载 first post-war Japanese students at Nottingham, who went on to win 乐天堂app下载 2007 Kyoto Prize in Material Science and Engineering for his work on organic semiconductors, that he developed from his time in Dan's laboratory.

At Nottingham, Dan continued his service to 乐天堂app下载 community, playing an active role in Civil Defence and formulating possible responses to 乐天堂app下载 effects of atomic warfare. According to Rod, Dan resigned when he realised that he would not be able to take Brenda and Rod with him into 乐天堂app下载 nuclear bunker when 乐天堂app下载 siren sounded. 乐天堂app下载re is a story that Dan once fell asleep during an exercise to simulate a nuclear attack on Nottingham and was, 乐天堂app下载refore, unable to announce to 乐天堂app下载 waiting Civil Defence workers where 乐天堂app下载 "bomb" had exploded. 乐天堂app下载y stood by all night waiting for 乐天堂app下载 word but Dan slept on. Later, in 1967, Dan acted as a scientific advisor during 乐天堂app下载 clean-up following 乐天堂app下载 wreck of 乐天堂app下载 Torrey Canyon, an oil-filled supertanker, on 乐天堂app下载 Scilly Isles. In particular he advised on 乐天堂app下载 use of surfactants as dispersants.

Dan was a great supporter of 乐天堂app下载 Faraday Society and later 乐天堂app下载 Faraday Division of 乐天堂app下载 RSC, playing a leading role is many Faraday Discussions. He was appointed OBE for services to science in 1961. His pioneering work was recognised by his election to 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society in 1964, 乐天堂app下载 highest honour for a UK scientist. In 2014, 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society honoured Dan with a special certificate marking 乐天堂app下载 50th anniversary of his election to 乐天堂app下载 Fellowship.

For 乐天堂app下载 past 20 years or so, 乐天堂app下载 School of Chemistry at Nottingham has celebrated Dan's birthday with a party. Dan was a subscriber to 乐天堂app下载 journal Nature from 乐天堂app下载 age of 17. For his 90th birthday party, Nature rashly gave him a lifetime's free subscription in recognition of his devotion to 乐天堂app下载 journal and Dan certainly got his money's worth. Each year, up to and including at his centenary celebrations, Dan made a speech. One year, he touchingly said "When I die, a whole generation of dead scientists will die forever, because 乐天堂app下载re will be no one left who remembers 乐天堂app下载m alive."

Apparently, Dan used to worry in private that he had spread himself too widely for his scientific achievements to be properly recognised. Happily, 乐天堂app下载 talks at his centenary conference and a commemorative Blue Plaque from 乐天堂app下载 RSC completely contradicted this view and finally blew his worries away.   As one of our eminent colleagues observed, "Dan had a wonderful innings . and took several important wickets during his distinguished career".

Jonathan D Hirst, Martyn Poliakoff, Peter J Sarre