Dr Simon Cotton BSc, ARCS, PhD, DIC, CChem, FRSC

• Chartered Chemist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, 1989
• PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, London University, 1970
• Diploma of Imperial College, 1970
• Associate of the Royal College of Science, 1967
• BSc (Hons), Chemistry, London University, 1967

Simon Cotton graduated from Imperial College in 1967, continuing there to obtain a PhD (1970) for research into the chemistry of iron compounds, principally by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). He then carried out postdoctoral research at Queen Mary College, London, into the synthesis of intensely reactive organometallic compounds of the lanthanides, leading to the discovery of the first σ -bonded f-block organometallic and the first four coordinate lanthanide compound. Subsequently, he was the University Demonstrator in Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of East Anglia.

For the next thirty years, he combined teaching at the secondary level in both state and independent schools with chemical writing and research in inorganic chemistry. Ten research papers involving sixth form contributors have so far appeared in peer-group refereed journals, on compounds of scandium, yttrium, the lanthanides, iron and cobalt.

He also writes for audiences in schools, currently regularly contributing articles to the magazine Chemistry Review. His "Soundbite Molecules” column regularly appeared in the magazine Education in Chemistry from 1996 to 2012, reaching every secondary school in the UK, whilst he has been a major contributor to the Royal Society of Chemistry’s “Chemistry in its element – Interactive Periodic Table” and “Chemistry in its element – Compound” podcasts. He has also written over 80 “Molecules of the Month” for the University of Bristol’s website.

Pieces of a more general audience are reached through The Conversation blog and pieces on Research Perspectives, as well as media interviews (radio, TV and newspapers) on topics which have included the dangers of nerve agents, slimming drugs and burnt food.

In 2005, he shared the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Schools Education Award, and in 2014 he was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to chemistry.

Research interests

The chemistry of the transition metals, lanthanides and actinides.