In Memorial, Professor Emeritus, Physical Organometallic Chemistry and Electrochemistry
Alfred Prock retired in 2009 after 47 years at Boston University as a scientist and educator. In 1978, Boston University honored him with the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, its highest teaching award. During the last 20 years of his research, he had a highly successful collaboration with his now fellow emeritus, Prof. Warren Giering, in the areas of organometallic electrochemistry and applications and development of ligand effect studies. Together they developed a linear regression model for a phosphine ligand, Quantitative Analysis of Ligand Effects (QALE: www.bu.edu/qale), in which they combine four parameters: the σ electron donor capacity; steric repulsion; Ear, and the ∏ electron acceptor capacity. The benefit of QALE is that it greatly enhances the power of correlation analysis via Linear Free Energy Relationships in organic chemistry.
Honors
- Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1978