Ad van der Avoird (born 19 April 1943) is a Dutch theoretical chemist. He was professor of theoretical chemistry at the Radboud University Nijmegen.

Education and career

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Van der Avoird was born on 19 April 1943 in Eindhoven.[1] He studied at Eindhoven University of Technology, obtaining his PhD under George Schuit in 1968 with a thesis titled: "Perturbation theory for intermolecular forces : application to some adsorption models".[2] He was professor of theoretical chemistry at the Radboud University Nijmegen and took up emeritus status in 2008 although he kept working.[3] In 2013 Van der Avoird provided a theory on the relation between two benzene rings and their possible motion, the discovery was published with Gerard Meijer and a German research team in a paper in Angewandte Chemie.[4][5] The model solved a decade old scientific issue.[6]

Honors and awards

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On 25 April 2014 he was made a Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, one of only fifteen appointees that year. Amongst other accomplishments he was given the honor for his model of benzene dimer.[6]

Van der Avoird became member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1979.[7] He is also member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ad van der Avoird". International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  2. ^ Avoird, A Van Der (1968). Perturbation theory for intermolecular forces : application to some adsorption models (Thesis). Eindhoven University of Technology. doi:10.6100/IR116131. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Een lintjesregen in de zon" (in Dutch). Vox. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Molecular rings mystery solved after 20 years". Phys.org. 16 April 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015.
  5. ^ "Scientists decode molecule dynamics of benzene double molecule". DESY. 6 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Vier Koninklijke onderscheidingen voor de fysica" (in Dutch). Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie. 28 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Ad van der Avoird". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
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