Profile of Malcolm H. Chisholm
- Freelance Science Writer
Stretching across the periodic table, in the gulf between the hyper-reactive alkali metals and stoic noble gasses, are the often overlooked transition elements. For Malcolm H. Chisholm, Distinguished Professor of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), however, that vast expanse holds some of the most fascinating chemistry. In the tongue-twisting element of molybdenum, Chisholm finds metal coordination complexes that behave much in line with trusty organic chemistry bonding principles and yet hold their own unique properties. In his Inaugural Article in a recent issue of PNAS, Chisholm, elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2005, describes the synthesis and characterization of metal–metal quadruple-bonded systems of molybdenum and tungsten (1). He deciphers the order within these liquid crystal complexes and evaluates the potential for unique properties like electroluminescence.
A Fiery Start
Born in Bombay, India, in 1945, Chisholm spent only the first 6 months of his life there before moving back to his family's home of Inverness, Scotland. Soon after, at the age of 3, Chisholm moved to southern England. He remembers being captivated by science even at the young age of 4. “My first interests in science were meteorological, trying to predict storms, rain, and when it would snow,” he says. “Of course, that was frustrating because it doesn't snow much in the south of England.”
By the time he was 9, Chisholm's interests had moved on to astronomy. With his telescope, he looked at the moons of Jupiter and, in 1956, spied the Aaron Rowland comet. “About then, I got a chemistry set,” he recalls. He found fodder for his experiments at the local pharmacy. “In those days, one could buy a lot of chemicals from a chemist's shop.” He recounts that sodium chlorate, sold as a pesticide, along with sugar, made good homemade rockets. Chisholm's experiments …
