American Chemical Society reveals 2020 Kipping Award winner

Gelest, Inc., of Morrisville, PA, a leading innovator in materials science, has announced that its founder, president and chief technology officer Dr. Barry Arkles is the recipient of the American Chemical Society 2020 Frederic Stanley Kipping Award in Silicon Chemistry.

The prestigious award is presented by the American Chemical Society (ACS) to recognize distinguished contributions to the field of silicon chemistry during the 10 years preceding the nomination. The Kipping award was established in 1960 by the Dow Corning Corporation to commemorate the achievements of Prof. Frederic Stanley Kipping.

In addition to scientific achievements in the area of silicon chemistry, Barry Arkles has been instrumental in introducing products derived from silicon chemistry into new commercial applications including advanced thermoplastic composites, oxygen permeable contact lenses, enzyme and cell immobilization, and interlayer dielectrics and barriers for semiconductors.

“Dr. Arkles’ research is characterized by curiosity, leading to scientific understanding, leading to applications in the real world,” said Prof. Michael A. Brook, Science Research Chair in Sustainable Silicone Polymers, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at McMaster University.

“While particularly adept at developing synthetic strategies to understand and then manipulate interfaces, he has made important impacts in areas ranging from novel silica precursors, to ultra-extensible rubbers, and bird-rejecting window coatings — all through careful and clever silicone chemistry.”

This is the first time the Kipping award has recognized a researcher who has spent his entire career in the industrial sector. Dr. Arkles has over 300 significant publications including over 100 patents in the field of silicon chemistry and related material science.

“In my over 50 years involvement with organosilicon chemistry, Dr. Arkles stands alone in the ability to bring an academic approach to an industrial endeavor,” said Dr. Gerald Larson, Senior Research Fellow at Gelest.

“These efforts have resulted in a large number of significant publications and patents in addition to two highly successful silicon-based companies. These achievements over the past 45 years along with his continuous contributions to the development of silicon chemistry make him uniquely qualified for the Kipping Award.”

The formal Kipping Award will be presented to Dr. Arkles on March 23, 2020 at the ACS National Meeting in Philadelphia.