The number, diversity and importance of materials provided by chemistry is breathtaking. Pharmaceuticals that cure the sick, agricultural agents that feed the hungry, fuels and processes that create energy, materials that provide shelter, technologies that facilitate transportation. Chemistry is indeed everywhere doing everything. It is impossible to grasp the magnitude of technologies touched by chemistry. It seems a daunting decision to choose what area of chemistry a student should focus on during their education. Interestingly, although the various products and materials appear vastly different at first glance. At the microscopic level, the underlying fundamental chemical principles are extremely similar. At the molecular level, an Alzheimer's drug is quite similar to additives in asphalt paving! The chemistry of textile shaping and wood adhesives share much in common. There are striking similarities between hair coloring and thermal imaging. Innovation and creativity might be hampered by the reductionist approach - isolating and partitioning materials into separate intellectual spaces. It can often be beneficial, but perhaps more difficult, to identify the commonality between different technologies in order to create breakthrough solutions. This presentation will explore the role of molecular creativity in providing new sustainable solutions for society.

Eminent Scientist Lecture: What's in your chemical toolbox?

250th National Meeting (2015)

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