Richard F. Heck Ph.D.

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2010
Nobel co-recipients Ei-ichi Negishizz, Akira Suzuki

Physical organic chemist. Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction. Sole author - 7 consecutive papers. Heck reaction: important concept, tool for organic and medicinal chemists; fuorescence labeling of DNA bases - sequencing DNA/Genome. Thinner computer screens in future. "Great art in test tube."

Growing orchids in early teens lead to passion for chemistry.

Hobbies, Retirement

Richard Heck was interested in growing orchids in his early teens in Los Angeles. That interest lead to his passion for chemistry. While visiting the Philippines in 1979, he had met his wife Socorro at a Manila restaurant. Retiring in 1989 as Willis F. Harrington Professor Emeritus, he and his wife moved to the Philippines. During retirement he was growing orchids. That was the time that he was notified of the award of the Nobel Prize.