Schelter Receives Chemistry Award for Impact

Eric J. Schelter, Professor of Chemistry, has won the Inorganic Chemistry Lectureship Award, an annual award that recognizes individuals who have demonstrated creativity and impact in the field of inorganic chemistry. It is awarded by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Inorganic Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry. Schelter received the honor for his development of methodologies related to rare-earth element separations and elucidation of the electronic structures of f-block complexes. His research aims to address the problems associated with recycling heavy-duty batteries and electronics.

Rare earth elements are required in the manufacture of batteries, wind turbine generators, hybrid and electric vehicles, fiber optics, cell phones, and flat-panel displays. Mining and purifying these metals is an expensive, labor-intensive, and ecologically destructive process. Schelter’s goal is to develop efficient, environmentally friendly separations and recycling processes for certain high-value rare earth metals based on their unique physical and chemical properties.

In 2017, Schelter and his research group received a Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the EPA, and he won the 2016 Harry Gray Award for Creative Work in Inorganic Chemistry by a Young Investigator by the ACS. Schelter received the Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Scientific Advancement (RCSA) in 2013, and a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program Award in 2011. He was an editorial advisory board member for Inorganic Chemistry from 2016-18, and is the chair-elect of the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry, Coordination Chemistry Subdivision. Last year he was the Seaberg Visiting Professor at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The world’s largest scientific society, ACS represents professionals at all degree levels and in all fields of chemistry and sciences that involve chemistry.