# John Simons (chemist)

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Simons_(chemist)
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/John_Simons_(chemist).md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simons_(chemist)
> Source revision: 1344796341
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

English chemist

**John Philip Simons** [FRS](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) [FRSC](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) (born 20 April 1934)[1] is a British [physical chemist](/source/Physical_chemistry) known for his research in [photochemistry](/source/Photochemistry) and photophysics, molecular [reaction](/source/Chemical_reaction) dynamics and the [spectroscopy](/source/Spectroscopy) of biological molecules.[2][3] He was professor of physical chemistry at the [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham) (1981–93) and [Dr. Lee's Professor of Chemistry](/source/Dr_Lee's_Professorships) at the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford) (1993–99).

## Education

Simons studied at the [University of Cambridge](/source/University_of_Cambridge), graduating in 1955.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] His PhD is from Cambridge, under the supervision of [Ronald George Wreyford Norrish](/source/Ronald_George_Wreyford_Norrish).[4]

## Career

Simons first worked at the [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham), successively holding positions as an [ICI](/source/Imperial_Chemical_Industries) Fellow (1960), lecturer (1961–67),[5] reader (from 1975) and professor of [photochemistry](/source/Photochemistry) from 1979.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In 1981 he became professor of physical chemistry at the [University of Nottingham](/source/University_of_Nottingham). In 1993 he was appointed [Dr. Lee's Professor of Chemistry](/source/Dr_Lee's_Professorships) at the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford) and fellow of [Exeter College](/source/Exeter_College%2C_Oxford).[4][5] He retired in 1999.[5]

## Research

Simons' initial research at the University of Birmingham investigated the dynamics of molecular photodisassociation.[2] The development of a high-speed rotor by [Philip Burton Moon](/source/Philip_Burton_Moon) at Birmingham allowed Simons to apply this apparatus with crossed molecular beams at supersonic speed to examining the dynamics of photochemical reactions and bimolecular collisions.[2][3] At Nottingham, he started to use tuneable lasers to investigate reaction dynamics.[2] He was a pioneer of the use of Doppler-resolved, polarised laser spectroscopy to generate three-dimensional images of molecules colliding (stereodynamics),[3] and is regarded as "one of the founding fathers in the field of 'stereodynamics'".[2]

His later research at Oxford used infrared and ultraviolet laser spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations to investigate the three-dimensional structure and interactions of [carbohydrates](/source/Carbohydrate), [peptides](/source/Peptide), [neurotransmitters](/source/Neurotransmitter) and other small biomolecules in the absence of environmental noise.[2][3]

## Awards and honours

Simons was elected [Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Chemistry) in 1979,[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] and served as honorary secretary and president of the society's [Faraday Division](/source/Faraday_Society)[3] (1993–95). He became a [Fellow of the Royal Society](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) in 1989,[3] and served on the society's Council[3] (1999–2000). He gave the Royal Society's Humphry Davy Lecture[3] (2001) and received the society's [Davy Medal](/source/Davy_Medal) in 2007.[3][6] Other awards include the [Royal Society of Chemistry](/source/Royal_Society_of_Chemistry)'s [Tilden Prize](/source/Tilden_Prize) (1982–3),[3][7] Chemical Dynamics Award[3] (1993), [Polanyi Medal](/source/Polanyi_Medal) (1996),[3][8] [Spiers Memorial Award](/source/Spiers_Memorial_Award) (1999)[3][9] and [Liversidge Award](/source/Liversidge_Award) (2007).[3][10] He held a visiting Miller Professorship at the [University of California, Berkeley](/source/University_of_California%2C_Berkeley).[3]

In 2002 he received an honorary doctorate (DSc) from the [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham).[11] In 2005, a special edition of the journal *[Molecular Physics](/source/Molecular_Physics_(journal))* was published to honour Simons' seventieth birthday, the previous year.[2]

## Publications

- *Photochemistry and Spectroscopy* (Wiley-Interscience; 1971) ([ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780471792024](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780471792024))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-LoC_1-0)** ["Simons, John Philip"](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2011098218.html). [Library of Congress](/source/Library_of_Congress). Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-MolPhys_editorial_2-6) Tim Softley; Brian Howard (2005). "Editorial". *[Molecular Physics](/source/Molecular_Physics_(journal))*. **103** (11–12): 1465. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2005MolPh.103.1465.](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005MolPh.103.1465.). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/00268970500137139](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F00268970500137139). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [220377324](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:220377324).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-8) [***j***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-9) [***k***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-10) [***l***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-11) [***m***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-12) [***n***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-13) [***o***](#cite_ref-RoyalSoc_bio_3-14) ["John Simons | Royal Society"](https://royalsociety.org/people/john-simons-12283/). *royalsociety.org*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Leach_bio_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Leach_bio_4-1) [D. Field](/source/David_Field_(astrophysicist)); J. P. Simons; [Charles Cockell](/source/Charles_S._Cockell) (16 September 2020). ["Sydney Leach. 11 April 1924—24 December 2019"](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2020.0018). *[Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society](/source/Biographical_Memoirs_of_Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society)*. **69**: 313–332. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rsbm.2020.0018](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2020.0018). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [221714840](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:221714840).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Exeter_bio_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Exeter_bio_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Exeter_bio_5-2) ["Professor John Simons, MA Oxf, FRS"](https://www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/people/professor-john-simons/). Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Award winners: Davy Medal"](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dsunM9ukGLgaW3HdG9cvJ_QKd7pWjGI0qi_fCb1ROD4/pubhtml?gid=1021770356&single=true). Royal Society. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Tilden Prizes: Previous winners"](https://www.rsc.org/prizes-funding/prizes/find-a-prize/tilden-prizes/previous-winners/). Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Gas Kinetics Awards: The Polanyi Medal"](https://www.rsc.org/Membership/Networking/InterestGroups/GasKinetics/awards.asp). Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Spiers Memorial Award"](https://www.rsc.org/prizes-funding/prizes/archives/spiers-memorial-award/). Royal Society of Chemistry. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Liversidge Award Previous Winners"](https://web.archive.org/web/20200726233941/http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/LiversidgeAward/PreviousWinners.asp). Royal Society of Chemistry. Archived from [the original](http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Awards/LiversidgeAward/PreviousWinners.asp) on 2020-07-26. Retrieved 22 November 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Honorary Graduates of the University of Birmingham since 2000"](https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/university/governance/Honorary-Degrees-of-the-University-of-Birmingham-since-2000.pdf) (PDF). [University of Birmingham](/source/University_of_Birmingham). Retrieved 22 November 2020.

## External links

- [John Simons | Royal Society](https://royalsociety.org/people/john-simons-12283/)

- [Chemistry Tree](http://academictree.org/chemistry/peopleinfo.php?pid=72945)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF WorldCat National United States Netherlands Poland Israel Other IdRef

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Simons (chemist)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simons_(chemist)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Simons_(chemist)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.