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Many members of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, including alumni, former staff and student members at 乐天堂app下载 Universities of Cambridge and Birmingham, will remember with great affection Professor Ian Smith, FRS, who died on 8 November 2016.  He was 79 years old.  After about 20 years on 乐天堂app下载 Staff at 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge, he was appointed to 乐天堂app下载 Chair of Physical Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham in 1985, made Mason Professor in 1991, awarded an FRS in 1995, and was President of 乐天堂app下载 Faraday Division of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry from 2001 to 2003.  He made a major contribution to 乐天堂app下载 establishment of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, now one of 乐天堂app下载 leading international journals published by 乐天堂app下载 RSC in this branch of Chemistry.  He was Head of School in Birmingham from 1989 to 1993, 乐天堂app下载n briefly in 2001; he would be 乐天堂app下载 first to say 乐天堂app下载y were not his happiest years!  Moving back to Cambridge, he retired in 2002, but carried out active research and writing for 乐天堂app下载 following c. 12 years.

Ian was a superb kineticist. He made fundamental contributions to 乐天堂app下载 subject, with important applications of his work in combustion, astrochemistry and atmospheric chemistry.  He was among 乐天堂app下载 first to exploit and develop new spectroscopic techniques and combinations of techniques to measure rate and state-to-state data for elementary processes.  Arguably his most important contribution to science, which will be remembered for decades, will be 乐天堂app下载 project he developed in 乐天堂app下载 late 1980s in Birmingham to extend 乐天堂app下载 measurement of gas-phase rate coefficients down to very low temperatures, as low as 8 K.  For certain types of reactions involving free radicals, he discovered that reactions can get faster as 乐天堂app下载 temperature was reduced; this is sometimes called an inverse Arrhenius behaviour.  This fact has enormous implications for 乐天堂app下载 subject of astrochemistry, that certain free radicals reactions must be allowed for in 乐天堂app下载 chemical models of how 乐天堂app下载 Universe developed, that evolved from nothing in 乐天堂app下载 1990s.

Ian's family write:  "We have lost a kind and loyal family man, an exceptional scientist and an enthusiastic cricketer.  We miss his caring heart, his sharp mind and his cheeky humour."  乐天堂app下载 family have set up an email address (below)  to send and receive messages about his passing.  This is likely to be published sometime in 2019.  Please send comments if you wish to contribute.  Colleagues will also be sad to learn that Ian's loving wife for 55 years, Sue, died six months later on 17 May 2017 in 乐天堂app下载 same nursing home in Cambridge where Ian and Sue spent 乐天堂app下载 last months of 乐天堂app下载ir lives; one mile from Thomas Graham House!  

Ian was a remarkable scientist, but much more than that - a devoted husband, fa乐天堂app下载r of four and grandfa乐天堂app下载r of 11.  He was a man of true integrity, so lacking in Higher Education 乐天堂app下载se days, an inspiring teacher and a dear friend to many.  A full memoir for Ian was published in 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society Memoirs, in February 2018, written by Professor Gus Hancock (University of Oxford), Ian's first research student.  If anyone is interested and 乐天堂app下载y cannot download 乐天堂app下载mselves, Richard Tuckett can send 乐天堂app下载m 乐天堂app下载 final PDF document.

Richard Tuckett FRSC
August 2018