George William Gray
Encyclopedia
George William Gray CBE
, FRS
(born 4 September 1926) is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull
who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal display
s possible. He created and systematised the liquid crystal
materials science
, and established a method of practical molecular design.
Born in Scotland
, Gray was educated at the University of Glasgow
and the University of London
. He developed his academic career at the University of Hull from 1946 to 1990, where he remains an Emeritus Professor. In 1973, in conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment
, he showed that 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl
possessed a stable nematic phase at room temperature. This compound and other long-lasting cyano-biphenyls made the twisted nematic
display (LCD
) popular. Gray wrote the first English book covering the subject of liquid crystals, "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", published in 1962.
Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize
for Advanced Technology and is a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983, and in 1987 was awarded the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society
. Gray has been a Director of the International Liquid Crystal Society. Members of the British Liquid Crystal Society
honoured his achievements by establishing the George W. Gray Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research and technology.
Hull Trains named their first British Rail Class 222
'Pioneer' high-speed train Professor George Gray in recognition of his achievements in the modern history of Hull
.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
, FRS
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(born 4 September 1926) is a Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Hull
University of Hull
The University of Hull, known informally as Hull University, is an English university, founded in 1927, located in Hull, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire...
who was instrumental in developing the long-lasting materials which made liquid crystal display
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
s possible. He created and systematised the liquid crystal
Liquid crystal
Liquid crystals are a state of matter that have properties between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. For instance, an LC may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of LC phases, which can be...
materials science
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
, and established a method of practical molecular design.
Born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Gray was educated at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. He developed his academic career at the University of Hull from 1946 to 1990, where he remains an Emeritus Professor. In 1973, in conjunction with the Royal Radar Establishment
Royal Radar Establishment
The name Royal Radar Establishment was given to the existing Radar Research Establishment following a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Both names were abbreviated to RRE. The establishment had been formed, under its first name, in 1953 by merging the Telecommunications Research Establishment ...
, he showed that 4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl
4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl
4-Cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl is a commonly used nematic liquid crystal with the chemical formula C18H19N. It frequently goes by the common name 5CB. 5CB was first synthesized by George William Gray, Ken Harrison, and J.A. Nash at the University of Hull in 1972 and at the time it was the first member...
possessed a stable nematic phase at room temperature. This compound and other long-lasting cyano-biphenyls made the twisted nematic
Twisted nematic field effect
The twisted nematic effect was a main technology breakthrough that made liquid crystal displays practical. Unlike earlier displays, TN-cells did not require a current to flow for operation and used low operating voltages suitable for use with batteries...
display (LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
) popular. Gray wrote the first English book covering the subject of liquid crystals, "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", published in 1962.
Gray was recipient of the 1995 Kyoto Prize
Kyoto Prize
The has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
for Advanced Technology and is a Commander of the British Empire (CBE). He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983, and in 1987 was awarded the Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society
Leverhulme Medal of the Royal Society
The Leverhulme Medal is awarded by the Royal Society every three years "for an outstandingly significant contribution in the field of pure or applied chemistry or engineering, including chemical engineering". It was created in 1960 after a donation by the Leverhulme Trust to mark the 300-year...
. Gray has been a Director of the International Liquid Crystal Society. Members of the British Liquid Crystal Society
British Liquid Crystal Society
The British Liquid Crystal Society is a charitable trust established to promote education and research on liquid crystals in the United Kingdom. The object of the Society is to advance education in the science of liquid crystals throughout Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
honoured his achievements by establishing the George W. Gray Medal for contributions to liquid crystal research and technology.
Hull Trains named their first British Rail Class 222
British Rail Class 222
The British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
'Pioneer' high-speed train Professor George Gray in recognition of his achievements in the modern history of Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
.
External links
- The History of Liquid Crystals at the University of Hull
- George William Gray, Kyoto Prize biography
- George William Gray, Kyoto Prize citation
- George Gray - Liquid Perfection
- Interview With George Gray, The Vega Science Trust
- The history of liquid-crystal displays, Hirohisa Kawamoto, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 90, No. 4, April 2002
- G. W. Gray, K. J. Harrison, J. A. Nash "New family of nematic liquid crystals for displays" Electronics Lett. 9 (1973) 130