Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
Robert H. Grubbs
Nobel prize winning American chemist (1942-2021)

Robert Howard Grubbs ForMemRS (1942–2021) was an American chemist and Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. He won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering work on olefin metathesis and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2015 for innovations in catalysts aiding commercial products. Grubbs also co-founded Materia, a university spin-off startup focused on producing advanced catalysts, significantly impacting industrial chemistry and materials science.

Related Image Collections Add Image
Profiles
1 Image
We don't have any YouTube videos related to Robert H. Grubbs yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to Robert H. Grubbs yet.
We don't have any Books related to Robert H. Grubbs yet.

Early life and education

Grubbs was born on February 27, 1942, on a farm in Marshall County, Kentucky, midway between Possum Trot and Calvert City.45 His parents were Howard and Faye (Atwood) Grubbs.67 Faye was a schoolteacher. After serving in World War II, the family moved to Paducah, Kentucky, where Howard trained as a diesel mechanic, and Robert attended Paducah Tilghman High School.89

At the University of Florida, Grubbs initially intended to study agriculture chemistry.10 However, he was convinced by professor Merle A. Battiste to switch to organic chemistry.11 Working with Battiste, he became interested in how chemical reactions occur.12 He received his B.S. in 1963 and M.S. in 1965 from the University of Florida.1314

Next, Grubbs attended Columbia University, where he worked with Ronald Breslow on organometallic compounds which contain carbon-metal bonds. Grubbs received his Ph.D. in 1968.1516

Career

Grubbs worked with James Collman at Stanford University as a National Institutes of Health fellow during 1968–1969. With Collman, he began to systematically investigate catalytic processes in organometallic chemistry, a then relatively new area of research.17

In 1969, Grubbs was appointed to the faculty of Michigan State University, where he began his work on olefin metathesis. Harold Hart, Gerasimos J. Karabatsos, Gene LeGoff, Don Farnum, Bill Reusch and Pete Wagner served as his early mentors at MSU.18 Grubbs was an assistant professor from 1969 to 1973, and an associate professor from 1973 to 1978.19 He received a Sloan Fellowship for 1974–1976.20 In 1975, he went to the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim, Germany, on a fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.21

In 1978, Grubbs moved to California Institute of Technology as a professor of chemistry. As of 1990 he became the Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry.2223

As of 2021, Grubbs has an h-index of 160 according to Google Scholar24 and of 137 according to Scopus.25

Commercial activities

Both first and second generation Grubbs catalysts were commercially available from Materia, a startup company that Grubbs co-founded with Mike Giardello in Pasadena, California, in 1998.262728 Materia has been able to obtain exclusive rights to manufacture many of the known olefin catalysts.29 Under Giardello, Materia was able to sell their catalysts through Sigma-Aldrich's chemicals catalogue. Sigma-Aldrich became their exclusive worldwide provider.3031 In 2008, Materia partnered with Cargill to form Elevance Renewable Sciences to produce specialty chemicals from renewable oils,32 including biofuels.33 In 2017, Materia sold its catalyst business to Umicore.34 In 2021, Materia was acquired by ExxonMobil.35

Grubbs was a member of the Reliance Innovation Council formed by Reliance Industries Limited, India.36

Grubbs was a member of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's advisory board.37

Research

Grubbs's main research interests were in organometallic chemistry and synthetic chemistry, particularly the development of novel catalysts for olefin metathesis. In olefin metathesis, a catalyst is used to break the bonds of carbon molecules, which can then re-form to create chemical bonds in new ways, producing new compounds with unique properties.3839 The basic technique can be used for creation of polymers, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals40 and has broad applications in areas including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, agriculture, and plastics.41

Grubbs was instrumental in developing a family of ruthenium catalysts, including Grubbs catalyst for olefin metathesis.42 He studied olefin transformations for ring-closing metathesis (RCM),43 cross-metathesis reaction (CMR),44 and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with cyclic olefins such as norbornene.45 He also contributed to the development of "living polymerization", in which the termination ability of a polymerization reaction is removed. The polymer will continue to replicate until a quenching agent is presented.46

The Grubbs group successfully polymerized the 7-oxo norbornene derivative using ruthenium trichloride, osmium trichloride as well as tungsten alkylidenes.47 They identified a Ru(II) carbene as an effective metal center and in 1992 published the first well-defined, ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalyst, (PPh3)2Cl2Ru=CHCH=CPh2.48

The corresponding tricyclohexylphosphine complex (PCy3)2Cl2Ru=CHCH=CPh2 was also shown to be active.49 This work culminated in the now commercially available first-generation Grubbs catalyst in 1995.505152 Second generation catalysts were developed as well.5354

Ruthenium is stable in air and has higher selectivity and lower reactivity than molybdenum, the most promising of the previously discovered catalysts. In addition, Grubbs took a green chemistry approach to catalysis that reduced the potential to create hazardous waste. The Grubbs catalyst has become a standard for general metathesis applications in ordinary laboratories.555657

By controlling the catalyst used, it became possible to synthesize polymers with specialized structures and functional capabilities, including cyclic olefins, alternating copolymers, and multiblock copolymers.58 Using catalysts allows chemists to speed up chemical transformations and to lower the cost of what were previously complicated multi-step industrial processes.59

Personal life

While at Columbia University, Grubbs also met his future wife, Helen O'Kane, a special-education teacher, with whom he had three children: Barney (born 1972), Brendan H. (born 1974) and Kathleen (Katy) (born 1977).606162

Grubbs died from a heart attack at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California, on December 19, 2021, at age 79.6364 At the time of his death, he was being treated for lymphoma.65

Awards and honors

Grubbs received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with Richard R. Schrock and Yves Chauvin, for his work in the field of olefin metathesis.6667 He has received a number of other awards and honors, including the following:

Publications

  • Grubbs, Robert (2003). Handbook of Metathesis. Weinheim, Germany; Chichester, England: Wiley-VCH John Wiley distributor. ISBN 978-3-527-30616-9. OCLC 52485738.

References

  1. "American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal". Science History Institute. March 22, 2018. https://www.sciencehistory.org/american-institute-of-chemists-gold-medal ↩

  2. "Press Release, 5 October 2005". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/press.html ↩

  3. "Lanxess rubber employs Materia catalysts". Chemical & Engineering News. 84 (34): 23. August 21, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2018. https://cen.acs.org/articles/84/i34/Lanxess-rubber-employs-Materia-catalysts.html?type=paidArticleContent ↩

  4. "Jackson Purchase Nobel Laureate". Jackson Purchase Historical Society. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://jacksonpurchasehistory.org/2010/12/13/jackson-purchase-nobel-laureate/ ↩

  5. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  6. "Jackson Purchase Nobel Laureate". Jackson Purchase Historical Society. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://jacksonpurchasehistory.org/2010/12/13/jackson-purchase-nobel-laureate/ ↩

  7. History and Families, McCracken County, Kentucky, 1824–1989. Turner Publishing Company. December 22, 1989. ISBN 9780938021360. Retrieved December 22, 2021 – via Google Books. 9780938021360 ↩

  8. "Jackson Purchase Nobel Laureate". Jackson Purchase Historical Society. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://jacksonpurchasehistory.org/2010/12/13/jackson-purchase-nobel-laureate/ ↩

  9. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  10. "Nobel laureate Robert Grubbs dies at 79". cen.acs.org. Retrieved December 22, 2021. https://cen.acs.org/people/obituaries/Nobel-laureate-Robert-Grubbs-dies/99/web/2021/12 ↩

  11. Janine Young, Sikes (October 6, 2005). "A Gator wins Nobel in chemistry". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160421170934/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051006/LOCAL/51006006 ↩

  12. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  13. Janine Young, Sikes (October 6, 2005). "A Gator wins Nobel in chemistry". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160421170934/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051006/LOCAL/51006006 ↩

  14. Doerfler, Andrew (December 20, 2021). "UF Mourns the Passing of Robert H. Grubbs, Nobel-Winning Alumnus". News – College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. Retrieved December 22, 2021. https://news.clas.ufl.edu/uf-clas-mourns-the-passing-of-robert-h-grubbs-nobel-winning-alumnus/ ↩

  15. Grubbs, Robert Howard (1968). I. Cyclebutadiene Derivatives II. Studies of Cyclooctatetraene Iron Tricarbonyl Complexes (PhD thesis). Columbia University. ProQuest 302317287. (subscription required) /wiki/ProQuest ↩

  16. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  17. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  18. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  19. "Robert H. Grubbs PhD " Leadership Board". Department of Chemistry, University of Florida. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://www.chem.ufl.edu/about-all/directory/people/name/robert-grubbs/ ↩

  20. "Nobel Laureates". Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Retrieved April 15, 2016. https://sloan.org/fellowships/nobel-laureates ↩

  21. "Chemistry Nobel Prize for two Humboldtians". The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. October 5, 2005. Archived from the original on November 14, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181114224227/https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/33300.html ↩

  22. "Robert H. Grubbs American chemist". Encyclopædia Britannica. April 26, 2024. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-H-Grubbs ↩

  23. "2002 Robert H. Grubbs, Caltech". Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society. July 20, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://scalacs.org/?page_id=1089 ↩

  24. Robert H. Grubbs publications indexed by Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Lukr7eoAAAAJ ↩

  25. Robert H. Grubbs publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required) https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=36047111100 ↩

  26. Notman, Nina (January 28, 2015). "Grubbs catalyst". Chemistry World. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/01/grubbs-catalyst-olefin-metathesis-podcast ↩

  27. "Industry's Secret Ingredient". Caltech News. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910110435/https://innovation.caltech.edu/content/industrys-secret-ingredient ↩

  28. "Leading Innovation in Catalysis". Materia. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.materia-inc.com/technology/olefin-metathesis ↩

  29. "The History of Materia". Materia. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.materia-inc.com/corporate/about/history ↩

  30. "Industry's Secret Ingredient". Caltech News. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910110435/https://innovation.caltech.edu/content/industrys-secret-ingredient ↩

  31. "Materia and Sigma-Aldrich Announce Exclusive Distribution Deal for Grubbs' Metathesis Catalysts". Business Wire. August 18, 2003. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20030818005374/en/Materia-Sigma-Aldrich-Announce-Exclusive-Distribution-Deal-Grubbs ↩

  32. Tullo, Alexander H. (March 31, 2008). "Cargill, Materia Launch New Firm Elevance will make specialty chemicals from vegetable oils". Chemical & Engineering News. 86 (13): 6. doi:10.1021/cen-v086n013.p006. http://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i13/Cargill-Materia-Launch-New-Firm.html ↩

  33. Kotrba, Ron (March 23, 2010). "Newton plant to become biorefinery showcase". Biodiesel Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/4091/newton-plant-to-become-biorefinery-showcase ↩

  34. "Materia, Inc. Sells Catalyst Business to Umicore". Materia. December 20, 2017. Retrieved June 10, 2021. http://www.materia-inc.com/media/news/materia-inc.-sells-catalyst-business-to-umicore ↩

  35. "ExxonMobil acquires Materia, Inc., a high-performance structural polymers company". ExxonMobil. Retrieved December 18, 2021. https://corporate.exxonmobil.com:443/News/Newsroom/News-releases/2021/1207_ExxonMobil-Acquires-Materia-Inc-a-High-Performance-Structural-Polymers-Company ↩

  36. "Reliance Innovation Council (2007–2017) – Raghunath Mashelkar – Mukesh Ambani – Jean-Marie Lehn – Robert Grubbs – George Whitesides – Gary Hamel – William Haseltine". Reliance Industries Limited. Archived from the original on December 16, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211216034937/https://www.ril.com/Innovation-R-D/Innovation.aspx ↩

  37. "Nobel Laureates". USA Science & Engineering Festival. Archived from the original on April 21, 2010. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20100421005310/http://www.usasciencefestival.org/about/advisors/ ↩

  38. Janine Young, Sikes (October 6, 2005). "A Gator wins Nobel in chemistry". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160421170934/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051006/LOCAL/51006006 ↩

  39. Miree-Luke, Lisa (October 8, 2015). "Axalta's Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Pennsylvania Features Presentation on Methathesis Polymerization". Business Wire. Retrieved April 14, 2016. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151008005945/en/Axalta%E2%80%99s-Distinguished-Lecture-Series-University-Pennsylvania-Features ↩

  40. Pearson, Rodney (April 3, 2001). "South Pasadena chemist wins national award for designing new catalysts". EurekaAlert. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160415013720/http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-04/ACS-SPcw-0304101.php ↩

  41. Janine Young, Sikes (October 6, 2005). "A Gator wins Nobel in chemistry". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160421170934/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20051006/LOCAL/51006006 ↩

  42. Singh, Okram Mukherjee (2006). "Metathesis catalysts: Historical perspective, recent developments and practical applications" (PDF). Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research. 65 (December): 957–965. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/4987/1/JSIR%2065%2812%29%20957-965.pdf ↩

  43. Grubbs, Robert H. (2006). "Olefin-Metathesis Catalysts for the Preparation of Molecules and Materials (Nobel Lecture)". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 45 (23): 3760–3765. doi:10.1002/anie.200600680. PMID 16724297. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  44. Chatterjee, Arnab K.; Choi, Tae-Lim; Sanders, Daniel P.; Grubbs, Robert H. (September 2003). "A General Model for Selectivity in Olefin Cross Metathesis" (PDF). Journal of the American Chemical Society. 125 (37): 11360–11370. Bibcode:2003JAChS.12511360C. doi:10.1021/ja0214882. PMID 16220959. Retrieved April 14, 2016. http://medchem.rutgers.edu/mc504/pdfs/CM.pdf ↩

  45. Nguyen, SonBinh T.; Johnson, Lynda K.; Grubbs, Robert H.; Ziller, Joseph W. (May 1992). "Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene by a Group VIII carbene complex in protic media" (PDF). Journal of the American Chemical Society. 114 (10): 3974–3975. Bibcode:1992JAChS.114.3974N. doi:10.1021/ja00036a053. https://authors.library.caltech.edu/88217/2/ja00036a053_si_001.pdf ↩

  46. Schrock, R. R.; Feldman, J.; Cannizzo, L. F.; Grubbs, R. H. (September 1987). "Ring-opening polymerization of norbornene by a living tungsten alkylidene complex". Macromolecules. 20 (5): 1169–1172. Bibcode:1987MaMol..20.1169S. doi:10.1021/ma00171a053. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

  47. Novak, Bruce M.; Grubbs, Robert H. (1988). "The ring opening metathesis polymerization of 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene derivatives: a new acyclic polymeric ionophore". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 110 (3): 960–961. Bibcode:1988JAChS.110..960N. doi:10.1021/ja00211a043. /wiki/Journal_of_the_American_Chemical_Society ↩

  48. Nguyen, SonBinh T.; Johnson, Lynda K.; Grubbs, Robert H.; Ziller, Joseph W. (May 1992). "Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene by a Group VIII carbene complex in protic media" (PDF). Journal of the American Chemical Society. 114 (10): 3974–3975. Bibcode:1992JAChS.114.3974N. doi:10.1021/ja00036a053. https://authors.library.caltech.edu/88217/2/ja00036a053_si_001.pdf ↩

  49. Nguyen, Sonbinh T.; Grubbs, Robert H.; Ziller, Joseph W. (1993). "Syntheses and activities of new single-component, ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 115 (21): 9858–9859. Bibcode:1993JAChS.115.9858N. doi:10.1021/ja00074a086. /wiki/Journal_of_the_American_Chemical_Society ↩

  50. Notman, Nina (January 28, 2015). "Grubbs catalyst". Chemistry World. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/01/grubbs-catalyst-olefin-metathesis-podcast ↩

  51. Schwab, Peter; France, Marcia B.; Ziller, Joseph W.; Grubbs, Robert H. (1995). "A Series of Well-Defined Metathesis Catalysts–Synthesis of [RuCl2(CHR')(PR3)2] and Its Reactions". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 34 (18): 2039–2041. doi:10.1002/anie.199520391. /wiki/Angew._Chem._Int._Ed._Engl. ↩

  52. Schwab, Peter; Grubbs, Robert H.; Ziller, Joseph W. (1996). "Synthesis and Applications of RuCl2(=CHR')(PR3)2: The Influence of the Alkylidene Moiety on Metathesis Activity". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 118 (1): 100–110. Bibcode:1996JAChS.118..100S. doi:10.1021/ja952676d. /wiki/Journal_of_the_American_Chemical_Society ↩

  53. Astruc, Didier (2005). "The metathesis reactions: from a historical perspective to recent developments" (PDF). New Journal of Chemistry. 29 (1): 42. doi:10.1039/b412198h. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160616011525/http://astruc.didier.free.fr/doc%20astruc/Metathese-NJC-2005-29-Astruc-p42-56.pdf ↩

  54. Wilson, Gerald O.; Porter, Keith A.; Weissman, Haim; White, Scott R.; Sottos, Nancy R.; Moore, Jeffrey S. (August 14, 2009). "Stability of Second Generation Grubbs' Alkylidenes to Primary Amines: Formation of Novel Ruthenium-Amine Complexes". Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis. 351 (11–12): 1817–1825. doi:10.1002/adsc.200900134. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  55. "American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal". Science History Institute. March 22, 2018. https://www.sciencehistory.org/american-institute-of-chemists-gold-medal ↩

  56. Singh, Okram Mukherjee (2006). "Metathesis catalysts: Historical perspective, recent developments and practical applications" (PDF). Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research. 65 (December): 957–965. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/4987/1/JSIR%2065%2812%29%20957-965.pdf ↩

  57. Astruc, Didier (2005). "The metathesis reactions: from a historical perspective to recent developments" (PDF). New Journal of Chemistry. 29 (1): 42. doi:10.1039/b412198h. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160616011525/http://astruc.didier.free.fr/doc%20astruc/Metathese-NJC-2005-29-Astruc-p42-56.pdf ↩

  58. Miree-Luke, Lisa (October 8, 2015). "Axalta's Distinguished Lecture Series at the University of Pennsylvania Features Presentation on Methathesis Polymerization". Business Wire. Retrieved April 14, 2016. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151008005945/en/Axalta%E2%80%99s-Distinguished-Lecture-Series-University-Pennsylvania-Features ↩

  59. "Industry's Secret Ingredient". Caltech News. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910110435/https://innovation.caltech.edu/content/industrys-secret-ingredient ↩

  60. "Robert H. Grubbs – Biographical". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. In some places, my birthplace is listed as Calvert City and in others Possum Trot. I was actually born between the two, so either one really is correct. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-bio.html ↩

  61. "Columbia News ::: Alumnus Robert Grubbs Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry". www.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20170301132207/http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/10/robertGrubbs_nobel.html ↩

  62. McClain, Dylan Loeb (December 24, 2021). "Robert H. Grubbs, 79, Dies; Chemistry Breakthrough Led to a Nobel". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/science/robert-h-grubbs-dead.html ↩

  63. "Caltech Mourns the Loss of Nobel Laureate Robert H. Grubbs". Caltech. December 19, 2021. Retrieved December 19, 2021. https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/caltech-mourns-the-loss-of-nobel-laureate-robert-h-grubbs ↩

  64. McClain, Dylan Loeb (December 24, 2021). "Robert H. Grubbs, 79, Dies; Chemistry Breakthrough Led to a Nobel". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/science/robert-h-grubbs-dead.html ↩

  65. McClain, Dylan Loeb (December 24, 2021). "Robert H. Grubbs, 79, Dies; Chemistry Breakthrough Led to a Nobel". The New York Times. Retrieved December 24, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/24/science/robert-h-grubbs-dead.html ↩

  66. "Press Release, 5 October 2005". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/press.html ↩

  67. "Robert H. Grubbs – Facts". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 15, 2016. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/grubbs-facts.html ↩

  68. "National Academy of Sciences Members". Caltech. Retrieved April 15, 2016. https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/robert-h-grubbs-wins-national-award-american-chemical-society-54744 ↩

  69. "Robert H. Grubbs". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. November 18, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021. https://www.amacad.org/person/robert-h-grubbs ↩

  70. "Robert H. Grubbs". The Franklin Institute. January 10, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://www.fi.edu/laureates/robert-h-grubbs ↩

  71. "Herman F. Mark Award 2000". Division of Polymer Chemistry, Inc. of the American Chemical Society. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315151551/http://www.polyacs.org/271.html ↩

  72. Pearson, Rodney (April 3, 2001). "South Pasadena chemist wins national award for designing new catalysts". EurekaAlert. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160415013720/http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-04/ACS-SPcw-0304101.php ↩

  73. "2002 Robert H. Grubbs, Caltech". Southern California Section of the American Chemical Society. July 20, 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://scalacs.org/?page_id=1089 ↩

  74. "Pasadena chemist wins national award for cata". EurekAlert!. Retrieved December 20, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/625149 ↩

  75. "Arthur C. Cope Award". ACS Chemistry for Life. American Chemical Society. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/awards/national/bytopic/arthur-c-cope-award.html ↩

  76. "Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity". Elsevier B.V. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://www.elsevier.com/awards/global/tetrahedron-prize-for-creativity ↩

  77. "Press Release, 5 October 2005". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2005. NobelPrize.org. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2005/press.html ↩

  78. "Members Grubbs". rsc.org. Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved April 15, 2016. https://royalsociety.org/people/robert-grubbs-13392/ ↩

  79. "Robert H. Grubbs 31st Paul Karrer Lecture 2005". University of Zurich. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160423154812/http://www.chem.uzh.ch/en/events/KarrerLecture/ListOfRecipients/RobertGrubbs.html ↩

  80. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement. https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration ↩

  81. "2009 ACS Fellows". American Chemical Society. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20190224231509/https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/fellows/list-of-2009-acs-fellows.html ↩

  82. "American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal". Science History Institute. March 22, 2018. https://www.sciencehistory.org/american-institute-of-chemists-gold-medal ↩

  83. "2015 Inductees: Robert Howard Grubbs". Florida Inventors Hall of Fame. September 28, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2016. http://www.floridainvents.org/robert-grubbs/ ↩

  84. "Current NAI Fellows". National Academy of Inventors. Retrieved April 15, 2016. http://www.academyofinventors.org/search-fellows.asp?qFellows=G&Qa=%&qSort=FASC ↩

  85. "Professor Robert Howard Grubbs". National Academy of Engineering. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://www.nae.edu/130206.aspx ↩

  86. "New Academicians and Foreign Members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 55 (8): 2633–2634. February 2016. doi:10.1002/anie.201511637. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  87. "12 Famous Scientists Elected 2015 CAS Foreign Members". CASAD. Retrieved April 12, 2016. http://english.casad.cas.cn/bb/201601/t20160118_158870.html ↩

  88. Wang, Linda (February 13, 2017). "Robert Grubbs wins Remsen Award". Chemical & Engineering News. 59 (7). American Chemical Society. Retrieved December 20, 2021. https://cen.acs.org/articles/95/i7/Robert-Grubbs-wins-Remsen-Award.html ↩

  89. Anon (2017). "Professor Robert Grubbs ForMemRS". royalsociety.org. London: Royal Society. https://royalsociety.org/people/robert-grubbs-13392/ ↩