- 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Intro
1963, Doctorat-ès-Sciences (Ph.D.), University of Strasbourg, France
1963-1964, Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard University
1966-1969, Assistant Professor at the University of Strasbourg
1970-1979, Professor of Chemistry at the University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg
1979-Present, Professor at Collège de France
Education and Work Experience
1963, Doctorat-ès-Sciences (Ph.D.), University of Strasbourg, France
1963-1964, Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard University
1966-1969, Assistant Professor at the University of Strasbourg
1970-1979, Professor of Chemistry at the University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg
1979-Present, Professor at Collège de France
Honors and Awards
1980, Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA
1980, Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1985, Member of the Académie des Sciences, Institut de France
1987, Nobel Prize in Chemistry
2004, Foreign academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Major Academic Achievements
Professor Lehn's main research area is supramolecular chemistry, especially the synthesis of point ether. Lehn expanded on Pedersen’s achievement in creating crown ethers, a class of two-dimensional, ring-shaped organic compounds that are capable of selectively recognizing and combining with other molecules. In the course of his efforts to synthesize three-dimensional molecules that would possess similar reactive characteristics, Lehn created a molecule that combines with the chemical acetylcholine, which is an important neurotransmitter in the brain. His work raised the possibility of creating totally artificial enzymes that would have characteristics superior to their natural counterparts in the human body.