This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Fallece Manuel Ballester, seis veces candidato al premio Nobel de química

Died Manuel Ballester, six times candidate for the Nobel Prize in chemistry

14/04/2005

on April 14, 2005

Spanish chemical researcher Manuel Ballester Boix, Prince of Asturias prize for scientific and technical research in 1982 and six times candidate for the Nobel Prize, died on April 6 in Barcelona at the age of 85.

Ballester, Catalan by birth, highlighted in the research of free radical and the use of plastic as electrical conductor instead of metals, in addition to working for projects commissioned by the US Defense Department.

Degree in chemical sciences "cum laude" from the University of Barcelona in 1944, he obtained the doctorate in 1948 by the Madrid. A year later, he moved to the North American Harvard University, where he remained until 1951.

In 1954 the team of researchers led by working in the field of the chlorides of carbon alcaromáticos. By error of a student that he was directing a thesis and who should control a reaction they managed to discover the first alcaromático with a considerable performance carbon chloride. This finding was a fundamental character, as she opened a new area within organic chemistry.

In 1958 the U.S. Government commissioned a work for the Office of research and aerospace development of the Department of Defense, that Ballester was dedicated until 1973.

Throughout his career was Adviser to the High Council of scientific research (CSIC), Member of the Chemical Society, Harvard Chemist and Chemical Society of London and head of section organic Chemistry Physics of the Board of Trustees "Juan de la Cierva".

Director of the Institute of applied organic chemistry of the CSIC in Barcelona, received the Prince of Asturias for science and technology award in 1982 and the last award that was granted was the award to the research of the Generalitat of Catalonia in 2003.