Eighteen research chemists from five companies have been named Heroes of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for their input into improving health and well-being.

Eighteen research chemists from five companies have been named Heroes of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for their input into improving health and well-being. 

The awards, started in 1996, recognise industrial chemists and chemical engineers who have created commercially successful products that improve the quality of life.

Colgate-Palmolive’s Abdul Gaffar won for developing Colgate Total toothpaste, the first toothpaste approved by the Food and Drug Administration to fight cavities, gingivitis, plaque and tartar. It contains a broad spectrum antibacterial plus a combination of polymers to deliver it.

A team of 10 researchers from ExxonMobil and Albemarle were recognised for developing the SCANfining and SCANfining II gasoline sulfur reduction processes. SCANfining removes sulfur from catalytically cracked naphtha while retaining 80 per cent more octane value compared with conventional sulfur removal processes.

IBM’s Hiroshi Ito and Grant Williams were honoured for developing the chemically amplified photoresist materials that have enabled smaller computer chips to be produced. The materials use a self-sustaining catalytic process to give the better resolution needed to create smaller features.

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development’s Ludo Kennis won for Risperdal which helps control the symptoms of bipolar I disorder.

Four researchers from Novartis were recognised for developing Gleevec, which targets an enzyme responsible for the uncontrollable growth of cancer cells in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia. In clinical trials with Gleevec, the white blood cell count returned to normal for 98 per cent of chronic myeloid leukaemia patients.

The awards were presented at the ACS national meeting in Washington DC, US. Karen Harries-Rees