George C. Pimentel

George Claude Pimentel (May 2, 1922 – June 18, 1989) was the inventor of the chemical laser.^[1] He also developed the technique of matrix isolation in low-temperature chemistry. In theoretical chemistry, he proposed the three-center four-electron bond which is now accepted as the best simple model of hypervalent molecules. In the late 1960s, Pimentel led the University of California team that designed the infrared spectrometer for the Mars Mariner 6 and 7 missions that analyzed the surface and atmosphere of Mars.^[2]

An alumnus of University of California, Los Angeles (B.S. 1943) and University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. 1949), Pimentel began teaching at Berkeley in 1949, where he remained until his death in 1989.

Honours and awards

The ACS Award in Chemical Education was renamed the George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education in his honor in 1989.^[3][4]

• Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1982)
• Peter Debye Award (1983)
• National Medal of Science (1985)
• Franklin Medal (1985)
• Welch Award (1986)
• American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal (1988)
• Priestley Medal (1989)
• George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education (1990)

References

1. Moore, C. Bradley (March 1990). "Obituary: George Pimentel". Physics Today. 43 (3): 96. doi:10.1063/1.2810504.
2. "George C. Pimentel". www.sigmaxi.org. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
3. "Awards Named for George C. Pimentel". georgecpimentel.tripod.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
4. "George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education - American Chemical Society". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2016-10-09.

External links

• Jeanne Pimentel (2003). "George C. Pimentel Website". Retrieved 2007-11-19.
• Ann Thayer. "The Priestley Medal - 1989: George C. Pimentel (1922-1989) Chemical & Engineering News, April 7, 2008". Retrieved 2008-09-17.
• C.Bradley Moore (2007). "George Claude Pimentel 1922-89 A Biographical Memoir" (PDF). National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
• Guide to the George C. Pimentel Papers at The Bancroft Library