1999 Monie A. Ferst Award
University of Southern California chemist Arthur W. Adamson is considered a pioneer in inorganic photochemistry, initiating the photochemistry of metal complexes as a modern field in 1958 with publication of the first paper to present the photochemical reactions and quantum yields at various wave-lengths for a representative variety of metal complexes. He also formulated a set of rules, known as Adamson's Rules, governing the photo-substitutional chemistry of metal complexes. His work has led to major applications in the areas of solar energy conversion, photo-resists for micro-circuitry and memory storage data. He is the author of what is generally accepted as the most important text and reference book in the field of surface chemistry, The Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, now in its fifth edition.