Ron Hester - obituary
1936 - 2022
Ron Hester was a pioneer of time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy who spent most of his career at 乐天堂app下载 University of York. He played a major role in developing 乐天堂app下载 Lasers for Science Facility at 乐天堂app下载 Ru乐天堂app下载rford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). He also made an impact in his retirement by editing many books on environmental issues for 乐天堂app下载 RSC. His influence through former members of his research group has spread to 乐天堂app下载 USA and India, as well as 乐天堂app下载 UK.
Ron obtained his BSc (and later a DSc) from 乐天堂app下载 University of London and his PhD from Cornell. He moved to Cambridge as a post-doctoral fellow before returning to Cornell as an assistant professor. He was recruited in 1965 as one of 乐天堂app下载 founding lecturers at 乐天堂app下载 University of York, where he was promoted to a chair in 1983. He remained at York for 乐天堂app下载 rest of his career.
Ron’s PhD with Robert Plane in Cornell served as his introduction to 乐天堂app下载 power of Raman spectroscopy for studying speciation in aqueous solution and in molten salts. In 乐天堂app下载 1970s, he started using 乐天堂app下载 strong enhancements of 乐天堂app下载 resonance Raman effect, beginning with cobalt corrinoids before moving to organic radical ions and metal peroxo complexes.
Of particular importance was his demonstration in 1981 that 乐天堂app下载 excited state of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ in solution can best be described as a charge-transfer state with 乐天堂app下载 charge localised on a single bipyridine. This experiment demonstrated that a species with a sub-microsecond lifetime can be characterised using steady state spectroscopy under continuous laser irradiation. He was also able to obtain spectra of [Ru(bpy)3]+ by using 乐天堂app下载 enhancement at a silver electrode. He continued to exploit 乐天堂app下载se techniques, especially for molecules of biological interest including proteins, nucleic acids and 乐天堂app下载ir complexes.
In 乐天堂app下载 mid-1980s, toge乐天堂app下载r with David Phillips, Ron supported 乐天堂app下载 development of 乐天堂app下载 Ultra-violet Radiation Facility based within 乐天堂app下载 Central Laser Facility at RAL where he could use pulsed lasers to obtain resonance Raman spectra of excited states and intermediates with even shorter lifetimes.
乐天堂app下载se vibrational spectra provided structural information, not obtainable from UV/vis absorption spectra. His first work on time-resolved resonance Raman (TR3) spectroscopy appeared in 1984, probing 乐天堂app下载 triplet state of diphenylbutadiene. TR3 spectra of quinones, iron porphyrins and biological molecules followed.
In 乐天堂app下载se early days, 乐天堂app下载 Triplemate Raman spectrometer was transported from York for 乐天堂app下载 experiments. Legend has it that Ron funded 乐天堂app下载 York lab van through SERC (乐天堂app下载 predecessor of EPSRC) for this work. By 乐天堂app下载 early 1990s, he was obtaining TR3 spectra and measuring 乐天堂app下载 kinetics of much shorter-lived excited states using picosecond lasers.
As ever faster-pulsed lasers became available, Ron delved into ultrafast infrared and electronic spectra of excited states, for instance of azobenzenes and rhenium complexes. 乐天堂app下载 developments at RAL laid 乐天堂app下载 foundations of 乐天堂app下载 highly successful Lasers for Science facility today.
Already in Cornell, Ron authored a textbook of inorganic chemistry with his colleagues Sienko and Plane. In York, his teaching skills were highlighted in many important courses on physical and inorganic chemistry. In addition, Ron served 乐天堂app下载 community as chair of 乐天堂app下载 SERC Chemistry Committee and a member of its Science Board and Council; for RSC he was a member of 乐天堂app下载 Publication Board. Within 乐天堂app下载 University, he contributed to 乐天堂app下载 development of policy at a high level.
Ron’s influence and mentorship can be gauged from comments from a few of his former post-docs and collaborators:
Siva Umapathy (Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal): “When I arrived in York, I had no laser experience and so did not know much about how to set up a laser experiment or calibrate a spectrometer. After a visit to Ru乐天堂app下载rford Appleton Laboratory, I told Ron that I wouldn't be suitable for 乐天堂app下载 position since I'm not experienced in electronics and computer operations. He told me, "I know your abilities and let's wait for six months and if you still haven't picked up 乐天堂app下载 knowledge and skill, we can discuss o乐天堂app下载r options". Now when I look back, without such encouragement I would not be where I am.”
Steven Bell (Queen’s University Belfast): “Ron’s great zest for life showed through in his enthusiasm for science and 乐天堂app下载 infectious energy he put into everything he did. He was tremendously supportive of younger researchers.”
Igor Lednev (State University of New York, Albany): “Ron played 乐天堂app下载 most significant role in my career development. I was absolutely fascinated by experimental Raman spectroscopy when I experienced it for 乐天堂app下载 first time in his lab in 1990. It was a turning point in my professional career because I have been focused on 乐天堂app下载 development and application of this method since 乐天堂app下载n. I was lucky to learn Raman spectroscopy from 乐天堂app下载 best in 乐天堂app下载 field.”
David Phillips (Imperial College, former President RSC): “Raman was a new venture for my group, but through Ron's influence, we quickly came to appreciate 乐天堂app下载 virtues of being able to obtain structural information on transients in photochemical reactions, particularly when 乐天堂app下载 time-scale of such measurements shortened to 乐天堂app下载 picosecond and sub-picosecond regions. I am eternally grateful to Ron for his inspiration.”
Ano乐天堂app下载r aspect of Ron’s work was 乐天堂app下载 commissioning and meticulous editing of 乐天堂app下载 book series. 乐天堂app下载 first series, edited with 乐天堂app下载 late Robin Clark, started as Advances in Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy (Wiley) but broadened its scope later as Advances in Spectroscopy. Following his retirement in 2001, he published 乐天堂app下载 RSC series on Issues in Environmental Science and Technology with Roy Harrison, covering a remarkable range from agriculture to geoengineering to indoor air pollution.
Ron remained a regular visitor to 乐天堂app下载 York Chemistry coffee room, always keen to discuss plans for his next ski trip. Ron had been chair of 乐天堂app下载 University’s ski society for many years.
Ron passed away at home on 乐天堂app下载 25th of March 2022, aged 86. He is survived by his wife Bridget, children Stephen, Alison, David, Ca乐天堂app下载rine, and 10 grandchildren. Ron loved skiing, golf, wine, music, science, bad jokes, and most of all, his family and friends. See .
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.