A. David Buckingham
Encyclopedia
Amyand "David" Buckingham, CBE
, FRS (born 28 January 1930 in Pymble
, Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
) is a chemist
, with primary expertise in chemical physics
. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge
, United Kingdom
and Emeritus Fellow at Pembroke College, Cambridge
. He obtained a B.Sc. and M. Sc., under Professor R. J. W. Le Fèvre, from the University of Sydney
and a Ph. D. from the University of Cambridge
supervised by John Pople
. He was a 1851 Exhibition Senior Student in the Physical Chemistry Laboratory
at the University of Oxford
from 1955–57, Lecturer and then Student (Fellow) at Christ Church, Oxford
from 1955–65 and University Lecturer in the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory from 1958 - 65. He was Professor of Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bristol
from 1965 - 69. He was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1969.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (1975) and a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
(1992). He is a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
.
Professor Buckingham's research has focussed on the measurement and understanding of the electric, magnetic and optical properties of molecules; as well as on the theory of intermolecular forces. He was the first to measure the value of a molecular quadrupole moment, that of the carbon dioxide
molecule (CO2).
He was awarded the first Ahmed Zewail
Prize in Molecular Sciences for pioneering contributions to the molecular sciences in 2006.
He also played 10 first class cricket matches for Cambridge University between 1955 and 1960, scoring 349 runs including 2 half centuries at an average of 18.36.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRS (born 28 January 1930 in Pymble
Pymble, New South Wales
Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council....
, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) is a chemist
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, with primary expertise in chemical physics
Chemical physics
Chemical physics is a subdiscipline of chemistry and physics that investigates physicochemical phenomena using techniques from atomic and molecular physics and condensed matter physics; it is the branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics...
. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Emeritus Fellow at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
. He obtained a B.Sc. and M. Sc., under Professor R. J. W. Le Fèvre, from the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
and a Ph. D. from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
supervised by John Pople
John Pople
Sir John Anthony Pople, KBE, FRS, was a Nobel-Prize winning theoretical chemist. Born in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, England, he attended Bristol Grammar School. He won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1943. He received his B. A. in 1946. Between 1945 and 1947 he worked at the Bristol...
. He was a 1851 Exhibition Senior Student in the Physical Chemistry Laboratory
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory
The Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory is a major chemistry laboratory at the University of Oxford, England. It is located in main Science Area of the University on South Parks Road...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
from 1955–57, Lecturer and then Student (Fellow) at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
from 1955–65 and University Lecturer in the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory from 1958 - 65. He was Professor of Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
from 1965 - 69. He was appointed Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge in 1969.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (1975) and a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
(1992). He is a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science
The International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science is an international scientific learned society covering all applications of quantum theory to chemistry and chemical physics. It was created in Menton in 1967. The founding members were Raymond Daudel, Per-Olov Löwdin, Robert G. Parr, John...
.
Professor Buckingham's research has focussed on the measurement and understanding of the electric, magnetic and optical properties of molecules; as well as on the theory of intermolecular forces. He was the first to measure the value of a molecular quadrupole moment, that of the carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
molecule (CO2).
He was awarded the first Ahmed Zewail
Ahmed Zewail
Ahmed Hassan Zewail is an Egyptian-American scientist who won the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry. He is the Linus Pauling Chair Professor Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology.- Birth and education :Ahmed Zewail was born on...
Prize in Molecular Sciences for pioneering contributions to the molecular sciences in 2006.
He also played 10 first class cricket matches for Cambridge University between 1955 and 1960, scoring 349 runs including 2 half centuries at an average of 18.36.