Alan MacDiarmid

1927 - 2007

Alan MacDiarmid: The Architect of Plastic Electronics

Alan Graham MacDiarmid (1927–2007) was a New Zealand-born chemist whose work fundamentally altered our understanding of the physical properties of matter. By proving that plastics—traditionally used as insulators—could be made to conduct electricity like metals, he catalyzed the birth of "organic electronics." This discovery earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 and paved the way for the modern era of flexible screens, solar cells, and smart plastics.

1. Biography: From the Great Depression to the Ivy League

Early Life and Education

Born on April 14, 1927, in Masterton, New Zealand, MacDiarmid grew up in a family struggling through the Great Depression. His interest in chemistry was sparked at age ten when he found one of his father’s old textbooks. He was largely self-taught in his early years, working as a part-time lab assistant at Victoria University of Wellington while pursuing his undergraduate studies.

He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Victoria University before winning a Fulbright Fellowship in 1950 to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There, he earned his first Ph.D. in 1953. Demonstrating an insatiable intellectual appetite, he moved to Cambridge University to earn a second Ph.D. in 1955, studying under the legendary inorganic chemist H.J. Emeléus.

Academic Career

In 1955, MacDiarmid joined the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), where he would remain for 50 years. He rose through the ranks to become the Blanchard Professor of Chemistry. Later in his career, he also held the James Von Ehr Distinguished Chair in Science and Technology at the University of Texas at Dallas, fostering international collaborations until his death on February 7, 2007.

2. Major Contributions: Turning Insulators into Conductors

MacDiarmid’s primary contribution was the discovery and development of conductive polymers.

Before the late 1970s, the scientific consensus was that polymers (plastics) were inherently insulators because their electrons were tightly bound in chemical bonds. MacDiarmid, alongside physicist Alan Heeger and chemist Hideki Shirakawa, overturned this paradigm.

The Breakthrough (1976–1977): While Shirakawa had synthesized a "silvery" form of polyacetylene by accident (using too much catalyst), it was MacDiarmid and Heeger who realized its potential. They discovered that by "doping" the polymer—introducing small amounts of impurities like iodine vapor—they could increase its electrical conductivity by ten million times.
The Mechanism: MacDiarmid demonstrated that for a polymer to conduct, it must have alternating single and double bonds (a conjugated system) and be "doped" by removing or adding electrons. This creates "holes" or extra electrons that can move along the polymer chain, mimicking the flow of electricity in a copper wire.
Polyaniline: Beyond polyacetylene, MacDiarmid became the world’s leading expert on polyaniline, a conductive polymer that was more stable and commercially viable, leading to breakthroughs in corrosion protection and electromagnetic shielding.

3. Notable Publications

MacDiarmid authored or co-authored over 600 papers and held 20 patents. His most influential works include:

"Synthesis of electrically conducting organic polymers: Halogen derivatives of polyacetylene, (CH)x" (1977): Published in the Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications. This is the seminal paper that announced the discovery of conductive plastics.
"The 'Organic Metal' Polyacetylene, (CH)x: Synthesis, Structure, and Properties" (1978): A foundational text in Physical Review Letters that bridged the gap between chemistry and solid-state physics.
"Polyaniline: A New Concept in Conducting Polymers" (1987): A key paper in Faraday Discussions that explored the protonic acid doping of polyaniline, expanding the field beyond simple oxidation/reduction.

4. Awards & Recognition

MacDiarmid’s work received the highest accolades in the scientific community:

Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2000): Shared with Alan Heeger and Hideki Shirakawa "for the discovery and development of conductive polymers."
Order of New Zealand (2002): The highest honor in his home country, limited to only 20 living members.
The Rutherford Medal (2000): New Zealand’s top science award.
American Chemical Society Award in Materials Chemistry (1999).
Honorary Doctorates: He received over 20 honorary degrees from universities worldwide, including the University of Pennsylvania and Victoria University of Wellington.

5. Impact & Legacy

MacDiarmid’s work created a bridge between the worlds of organic chemistry and condensed matter physics. His legacy is visible in several multi-billion dollar industries:

OLED Technology: The screens on modern smartphones and high-end televisions utilize light-emitting polymers derived from his research.
Flexible Electronics: His work made "plastic circuits" possible, leading to wearable sensors and rollable displays.
Energy Storage: Conductive polymers are used in lightweight batteries and high-capacity supercapacitors.
Solar Energy: Organic photovoltaics (OPV) offer a cheaper, flexible alternative to traditional silicon-based solar panels.
Institutional Legacy: The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology in New Zealand was named in his honor and remains a premier global research hub.

6. Collaborations

MacDiarmid was a firm believer that

"Chemistry is People."

His most famous collaboration was the "Two Alans and a Hideki" trio:

Alan Heeger: A physicist whose mathematical models explained how the electrons moved.
Hideki Shirakawa: A chemist whose synthetic techniques provided the necessary materials.

In his later years, he collaborated extensively with Ray Baughman at UT Dallas on carbon nanotubes and artificial muscles. He was also known for his devotion to his students, often crediting his lab assistants and post-docs as the true engines of his Nobel-winning research.

7. Lesser-Known Facts

The "Happy Accident": The discovery of conductive polyacetylene began with a linguistic misunderstanding. A visiting student in Shirakawa’s lab misunderstood the instructions and used 1,000 times more catalyst than required, resulting in a beautiful silvery film instead of the expected black powder. When MacDiarmid saw this film during a visit to Tokyo, he famously invited Shirakawa to Philadelphia, saying:
"If you can make it look like silver, why can't we make it conduct like silver?"
Work Ethic: MacDiarmid was known for his legendary 4:00 AM starts. He claimed his most creative thinking happened before the sun came up and before the "noise" of the day began.
A "Kiwi" at Heart: Despite spending most of his life in the U.S., he never lost his New Zealand accent and remained a passionate advocate for science education in his home country.
The "Nobel Effect": After winning the Nobel Prize, he used his fame to travel the world—particularly to China and Brazil—to advocate for "clean energy" and the use of chemistry to solve global poverty. He was a diplomat for science as much as a researcher.