Albemarle Presents Prestigious Arfvedson-Schlenk Lithium Award

Albemarle is the proud sponsor of the Arfvedson-Schlenk-Award​, which honors outstanding scientific and technological achievements in the field of lithium chemistry. The award is named for Johan August Arfvedson, the mineralogist who discovered the element lithium, and Wilhelm Schlenk, a pioneer in organolithium chemistry.

Since 1999, the award has been presented at the biennial Science Forum of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). This year, the event and award ceremony took place virtually. Dr. Ulrich Wietelmann, Manager Business Innovation Lithium Specialties, presented the award to the 2021 recipient, Professor Eva Hevia.

Professor Hevia receives the award in recognition for her outstanding research in polar organometallic chemistry. Her recent contributions include developing novel synthesis methods incorporating lithium and other s-block elements (metals positioned in the first and second group of the periodic table).

Professor Hevia's work demonstrates that critical organolithium reactions can operate in the presence of air and moisture, and that biorenewable alternatives can be used as replacements for conventional volatile organic solvents prepared from petrochemical feedstock.

Collectively, Professor Hevia's findings pave the way for a more sustainable future for polar organometallic chemistry.

We commend Professor Eva Hevia for her exceptional achievements and congratulate her for receiving the 2021 Arfvedson-Schlenk-Award!​