Heritage scientist timeline – Alan MacDiarmid

Alan Graham MacDiarmid was born in Masterton, New Zealand, in 1927.

Rights: MacDiarmid Institute

Alan MacDiarmid, chemist

Alan Graham MacDiarmid (1927–2007) was a chemist who, along with two others, discovered and developed a technique to turn certain plastics into conducting materials.

His interest in chemistry began as a boy when he found one of his father’s old chemistry textbooks dating back to the late 1800s. Although much of it confused him, it ignited within him a burning curiosity. Alan then discovered chemistry books in the local library and carried out most of the experiments in them. Later, when a ‘lab boy’ at the University of Victoria, he was asked to prepare some S₄N₄ (tetrasulfur tetranitride). The beauty of its bright orange colour made an impression on him and he later did his MSc thesis on the chemistry of these crystals. This was to become a key factor that later led to his discovery and work on conducting polymers.

Rights: J.C. Beaglehole Room, Victoria University Library. Reference: 2010/10 3 Item 97

Alan growing up

Alan MacDiarmid grew up in Masterton and had an interest in chemistry from an early age

Alan graduated at a time when communication between universities of the world was difficult and New Zealand universities still had limited options. To follow his interests, Alan needed to go abroad. After completing his PhD at the University of Wisconsin, a New Zealand scholarship enabled him to study for a second PhD at Cambridge University in England.

Success is knowing that you have done your best and have exploited your God-given or gene-given abilities to the next maximum extent.

Alan MacDiarmid

Having graduated to a high level in chemistry, Alan needed to stay in universities that were internationally recognised for their research in his field. He obtained a position at the University of Pennsylvania where he lived and worked for 45 years. It was here that he was able to carry out his work on conducting polymers. Although he lived in the United States, Alan always kept his links with New Zealand universities. In time, as communication and travel became easier, he made frequent visits back to New Zealand, strengthening ties with New Zealand science researchers.

As more universities became internationally recognised and with the development of the internet, collaboration between researchers in different universities and countries became common. The formation of the MacDiarmid Institute in 2002, based at Victoria University in Wellington, involved researchers from several New Zealand universities and Crown research institutes. Alan was involved with many New Zealand universities and became a frequent traveller to universities all over the world, sharing and collaborating in research. He developed a passion for teaching and stimulating young inquiring minds, which remained with him until he died.

The discovery of conducting polymers was, to some degree, serendipitous. In 1975, Alan was asked by Alan Heegar, a physicist at the University of Pennsylvania, to join him in making the sulfur nitride conducting polymer (SN)_x. This was because Heegar knew that Alan had made the precursor S₄N₄ during his MSc work in New Zealand. In the same year, Alan met Hideki Shirakawa at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan. He showed Shirakawa the (SN)_x compound, and Shirakawa showed Alan a sample of silvery polyacetylene (CH)_x. The (CH)_x had been produced because of a language misunderstanding between Shirakawa and his foreign PhD student. The student had added a catalyst 1000 times more concentrated than Shirakawa had told him. The result was a silvery form of conducting polyacetylene. Alan asked Shirakawa to come and work with him at the University of Pennsylvania for a year to develop the conducting polymer. There, they developed a doping method (adding other substances to increase electron movement) that increased its conductivity many millions of times. They then collaborated with Heegar who was well versed in conducting materials to further refine conducting polymers.

In 2000, Alan MacDiarmid, Alan Heegar and Hideki Shirakawa were awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for the discovery and development of conductive polymers (though the discovery part has been contested because of earlier reports, such as Bolto and Weiss in 1963).

Rights: MacDiarmid Institute

Nobel prize award

Alan MacDiarmid was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2000 for his work alongside Alan Heegar and Hideki Shirakawa that led to the discovery and development of conductive polymers.

The MacDiarmid, Heegar and Shirakawa finding (reported in 1976) caused a flood of work in conducting polymers – 25 years later, this resulted in the development of many new technologies using conducting polymers, such as flat-screen video displays, new solar cells, sensors, medical implants and flexible – even wearable – electronic circuitry.

The timeline below lets you see aspects of Alan's life and work, and how his findings changed scientific thinking. A full timeline transcript is here.

Alan MacDiarmid – chemist

• Changing scientific ideas
• Advances in science and technology
• Biography

• • 1729Discovery of conduction of electricity

    

    Stephen Gray makes early discoveries about electrical conduction and insulation.
1729

• • 1747Differences in conductivity of materials

    

    Henry Cavendish measures the conductivity of different materials.
1747

• • 1800Metal conducts electricity

    During the 1800s metals are found to be good at carrying (conducting) electricity.
• • 1800Electricity travels along wires

    

    Alessandro Volta proves that electricity can travel along wires.
1800

• • 1862First man-made plastic created

    The first man-made plastic is created by Alexander Parkes. It is an organic material derived from cellulose.
  • 1862Conductive material made, but not recognised

    Henry Letheby obtains a partly conductive material (polyaniline) from organic aniline. Although a conducting polymer, it is not recognised as such.
1862

• • 1899Plastic first used for electrical insulation

    Arthur Smith develops partially synthetic plastic resins for use in electrical insulation.
1899

• • 1900Plastics do not conduct electricity

    In the early 1900s plastics are developed. They do not conduct electricity, so are used as insulators. The idea that metals are conductors of electricity while plastics are non-conductors is maintained into the 1970s.
• • 1900Early polymers not recognised as conducting

    In the early 1900s German chemists name polyaniline compounds ‘aniline black’ and ‘pyrrole black’ and use them industrially. They are conducting polymers but are not recognised as such.
1900

• • 1907Bakelite used as electrical insulator

    

    Leo Baekeland invents the first truly synthetic plastic – Bakelite. It is used as an electrical insulator.
1907

• • 1927Alan MacDiarmid born in Masterton

    Alan Graham MacDiarmid is born in Masterton, New Zealand. He is one of five children.
1927

• • 1930Many different plastics made

    

    The next 25 years from 1930 sees the development of many kinds of plastics.
• • 1930Moves to Lower Hutt

    

    In the 1930s life in Masterton is difficult due to the Great Depression so the family moves to Lower Hutt.
1930

• • 1937Teaches himself chemistry

    At about 10 years of age, he develops an interest in chemistry from one of his father’s old textbooks – he teaches himself about chemistry from this and other library books.
1937

• • 1940New Zealand education

    During the 1940s he attends attends Hutt Valley High school for 3 years – leaves at age 16 and attends Victoria University. Has a part-time job as a ‘lab boy’/janitor to support himself. Completes a BSc and MSc.
1940

• • 1949Attraction to colour and chemicals

    Publishes his first paper in the scientific journal Nature, on the chemistry of S₄N₄. The bright orange crystals attract him to colour, a key factor that shapes his professional life.
1949

• • 1950Some organic compounds can carry electricity

    In the 1950s polycyclic aromatic compounds are found (under certain conditions) to carry current, indicating that organic compounds can carry current.
• • 1950Life at University of Wisconsin

    Receives a Fulbright Fellowship from the USA to do a PhD at the University of Wisconsin majoring in inorganic chemistry. Becomes president of the International Club and is elected Knapp Research Fellow. Meets Marian Mathieu.
1950

• • 1953Attends Cambridge University

    Wins a New Zealand Shell graduate scholarship to complete a second PhD at Cambridge University, England.
1953

• • 1954Alan marries

    Alan marries Marian Mathieu.
1954

• • 1955First job – Scotland

    Takes up a position for a short time as a junior faculty member at Queen’s College of the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
  • 195545 years at University of Pennsylvania

    

    Accepts a junior position on the faculty of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania where he lives for the next 45 years. He is father to three daughters and a son and later grandfather to nine grandchildren.
1955

• • 1960Non-metals can be semiconductors

    In the 1960s scientists accept that some organic molecules can be weak semiconductors – they can conduct electricity only under certain conditions.
1960

• • 1963High conductivity in polymers reported

    B Bolto, D Weiss and co-workers report high conductivity in polymers ‘doped’ by having iodine added to help electrons to move.
1963

• • 1971Award in silicon chemistry

    Awarded the American Chemical Society Frederic Stanley Kipping Award in Silicon Chemistry.
1971

• • 1974Organic polymer electronic device reported

    An organic polymer electronic switch developed by John McGinness and co-workers is reported in the journal Science.
1974

• • 1975The discovery begins

    Asked by Alan Heegar (physicist at the University of Pennsylvania) to join him in developing (SN)x – a conducting polymer – because Heegar knows MacDiarmid had made the precursor S₄N₄. They co-author many papers.
  • 1975Further discovery

    Meets Hideki Shirakawa (who had accidently produced a conducting polymer) in Japan and invites him to come to Pennsylvania for a year to work on conducting polymers.
  • 1975Development of conducting polymers

    

    Collaborates with Heegar and Shirakawa to develop a method of doping that increases conductivity of polyacetylene (an organic polymer) 10 million fold, making it as good as that of metallic copper. (Photo taken in 2000)
1975

• • 1976Plastics can conduct electricity

    The work of Alan MacDiarmid and colleagues shows that polyacetylene can conduct electricity almost as well as metallic copper. The conducting plastics revolution is born.
• • 1976Major advance in conducting polymers

    

    Alan MacDiarmid, Alan Heegar and Hideki Shirakawa report high conductivity in iodine or bromine-doped polyacetylene.
  • 1976Conducting polymers​ ​gain attention

    From 1976 a floodgate of research is opened – many researchers continue to probe the promising field of organic conducting polymers.
1976

• • 1977Collaboration for development and applications

    From 1977 to 2000 Alan works extensively on developing and maintaining collaborations with numerous research groups around the world focused on the understanding (physics), development (chemistry) and applications (engineering) of conducting polymers.
1977

• • 1990Alan’s wife dies

    Alan’s wife, Marian dies. They have four children.
1990

• • 1999Honorary doctorate

    Awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Victoria.
1999

• • 2000Plastics used as conductors

    

    Plastics are used as conductors, especially in new electronic technologies during the 2000s.
• • 2000Development of new technologies

    

    The 2000s see conducting polymers at heart of flat-screen video displays, sensors, medical implants, solar cells, flexible electronic circuitry.
• • 2000Joint Nobel prize in chemistry

    

    With Alan Heegar and Hideki Shirakawa, awarded Nobel prize in chemistry for the discovery and development of conducting polymers.
2000

• • 2001ONZ and Chair in Chemistry

    Appointed a Member of the Order of New Zealand (ONZ). The University of Victoria creates the Alan MacDiarmid Chair in Chemistry.
2001

• • 2002Formation of MacDiarmid Institute in New Zealand

    MacDiarmid Institute is formed in 2002. It involves a number of universities and institutes collaborating together researching materials science and nanotechnology. The Institute is hosted by Victoria University of Wellington.
  • 2002An ambassador for science

    

    Spends next 5 years travelling around the world and speaking – an ambassador for science.
2002

• • 2007Alan dies at age 79

    Dies at age 79 after a fall down some stairs while preparing to travel to New Zealand, where he was to give a lecture on non-polluting renewable energy.
2007

• • 2011Plastic packages become computers?

    Scientists explore possibilities of plastic packages tracking the process of contents (replacing the barcode) and determining, for example, the expiry date of a product (the bag turns black).
2011

Alan MacDiarmid – chemist

This timeline lets you see aspects of Alan's life and work, and how these fit into a wider science picture of chemistry. A full transcript is underneath.