Sir Harold Walter Kroto (1939-), Chemist

Sitter in 4 portraits
Chemist. Kroto initiated work on carbon chain molecules, combining research in synthesis, spectroscopy and radioastronomy. He was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1996 for the discovery of fullerenes or 'buckyballs', hollow carbon molecules with the potential for extensive manipulation. '...my research is in nanoscience and nanotechnology. One day this field should lead to tiny molecular machines which can buzz around inside us, supercomputers in our pockets as well as construction materials 100 times stronger than steel.'