Anthony Ledwith CBE. 14 August 1933—5 January 2015

Abstract

Tony Ledwith's early work at University of Liverpool is best known for the identification, characterization and use of free carbocations; in particular, demonstrating their advantages in allowing very high rates of vinyl addition and ring opening polymerizations. During a long career in academia and industry, his research predominantly focused on cationic and cation-radical mechanisms, but ranged across many aspects of polymerization mechanisms, properties and the applications of polymeric materials. His interests were always very wide, for example in surface characterization and modification. In his industrial career, his company was one of the very early adopters of scanning probe microscopies. He was an energetic enthusiast and became heavily involved in science politics, to the considerable benefit of the UK community, particularly chemists and polymer chemists.