Michael O'Keeffe

Some highlights of early work.

Discovery and interpretation of inverse isotope effect in hydrogen diffusion in metals [Phil. Mag. 15, 1071 (1967)]

First to identify anion-conducting solid electrolytes ("superionic conductors"). This was met initially by much scepticism but now fully accepted. Initial work published in Nature [264, 44 (1973)] and Science [180, 1276 (1973)]. Many new solid electrolytes discovered and the nature of the solid electrolyte transition fully explored [Comments in Solid State Physics 7., 163 (1977), Perspectives in Physics (R. Peierls, ed, Gordon & Breach, 1978)]. Geophysical implications also delineated [Science, 206, 599 (1980)].

What is believed to be the first identification and structure determination of a new mineral (takéuchiite) entirely by electron microscopy. [Amer. Mineral. 65, 1130 (1980); Acta Cryst. A37, 42 (1981)]

Recognition (with S. Andersson) of the importance of cylinder (rod) packings in crystal chemistry [Nature, 267, 605 (1976); Acta Cryst, A33, 914 (1977)]. many subsequent papers culminating in the design and synthesis (with O. M. Yaghi) of metal-organic frameworks based on this principle [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 1504 (2005)].

Recognition (with B. G. Hyde) of the role of non-bonded interactions in crystal chemistry. Ideas at first controversial but now generally accepted. [Nature, 293, 727 (1981); Nature 309, 411 (1984); Structure & Bonding 61, 79 (1985)].

General theory of bond lengths and atom sizes [Structure and Bonding, 71, 162 (1989); J. Am. Chem. Soc. 113, 3226 (1991)]. Highly cited (2000 citations) data for bond valence analysis [Acta Cryst. B47, 192 (1991)].

Proposals and evaluations (with O. F. Sankey) for new structures for carbon, fullerenes etc. [Nature 352, 674 (1991); Phys. Rev. Letts. 68, 2325 (1992); Science 256, 1792 (1992)].

Extensive studies (with B. G. Hyde) of the role of geometry of periodic patterns in crystal chemistry. Much of this summarized in the monograph Crystal Structures I: Patterns and Symmetry [MSA, Washington (1996)].

Some highlights of more recent work

With O. M. Yaghi executed the design, synthesis and characterization of periodic metal-organic and organic frameworks (MOFs and COFs) that proved remarkably robust and porous [Nature 402, 276 (1999), 423, 705 (2003), 427, 523 (2004); Science 291, 1021 (2001), 295 469 (2002), 300, 1127 (2003), 310, 1166 (2005)]. O'Keeffe contributed the design and theory, the Yaghi group did all the materials synthesis and characterization (gas sorption, etc). The paper on COFs Science 316, 268 (2007) won the Newcomb Cleveland prize of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for the best paper in science

With O. Delgado-Friedrichs developed the theory of periodic geometrical structures ("nets") and methods for enumerating and characterizing them. Introduced the concepts of natural tiling and transitivity and showed how they could be used to establish a hierarchy of regularity [Acta Cryst A: 59, 22, 351, 515 (2003), 60, 517 (2004), 61, 358 (2005); 62, 350-355 (2006); 63, 418-425 (2007)]. Established a database of theoretical structures [http://rcsr.anu.edu.au]

With O. M. Yaghi and O. Delgado-Friedrichs developed the systematics of design and synthesis of metal-organic and related framework materials. The general approach was illustrated by systematic synthesis of 0- 1-, 2-, and 3-periodic structures [Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U. S. 99, 4900 (2002) and the theory and practice is set out in a review [Nature 423, 705 (2003)] that was recently (09/05) identified by ISI as the "hottest" (cited at the highest rate) paper in chemistry. The concept of default structures was verified by analysis of the chemical literature [Accts. Chem. Res. 38, 176 (2005)].

Developed design and synthesis strategies for making oxide and sulfide materials with giant pores. Sulfides (with O. M. Yaghi) are hierarchical structures with clusters of tetrahedra ("supertetrahedra") [Science 283, 1145 (1999), Angew. Chem. 42, 1819 (2003)]. Templated synthesis of germanium oxides led to linked clusters forming record low framework densities [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123, 12706 (2001)] and finally (with X. Zou) to the first crystalline mesoporous material with exceptional structural characteristics [ Nature 437, 716 (2005)].