Jean-Marie Lehn a French chemist gave two lectures:

1) "A Journey through Chemistry" on 10th February 2010.

2) "From Supramolecular towards Adaptive Chemistry" on 11th February 2010.

At the age of 48 Prof. Lehn received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen in 1987 for his research in the new field of supramolecular chemistry, a new field beyond established routes.

Jean-Marie Pierre Lehn was born to Pierre and Marie (Salomon) Lehn on September 30, 1939, in Rosheim, in the Alsace region of northeastern France. His father had an unusual career combination as both a baker and an organist. After completing a diverse curriculum of chemistry, classics, and philosophy at the College Freppel in 1957, Lehn continued his studies at the University of Strasbourg, where his attention was turned to organic chemistry by Guy Ourisson , one of his professors. After earning his bachelor's degree in 1960, Lehn joined Ourisson as a researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France. During his six-year tenure there, he researched the chemical and physical properties of the enzymes used to synthesize vitamin A, and spent a year in the United States as a visiting professor at Harvard University, working with Roald Hoffmann on quantum mechanics and with R. B. Woodward on the composition of vitamin B12. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Strasbourg in 1963. Lehn returned to the University of Strasbourg as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1966. By this time, he had already begun studies of the human nervous system in order to determine biological and chemical relationships within the human body and was making great strides in the area of physical organic chemistry. It was during this period that he coined the term "supramolecular chemistry," later called "host-guest chemistry." Lehn defined supramolecular chemistry as a process whereby molecules recognize one another and selectively connect or bond, though the movement occurs quickly and the structural bonding is not permanent. In 1969, Lehn accepted an associate professorship at the University Louis Pasteur, which became a full professorship in 1970. Several years earlier, the American chemist Charles John Pedersen had published the results of his research on molecules known as ethers, in which carbon and oxygen atoms are strung together to form a crown-like shape. He referred to these molecules as crown ethers. Pedersen's work in the early 1960s was quite astounding because it enabled him to achieve so many practical applications in his laboratory. The shape of the crown ether, he found, allowed it easily to capture, or bind with, a metal ion. By altering the ring of atoms, he could create designer crown ether molecules, or hosts, to capture specific ions, or guests. Lehn expanded upon Pedersen's work by showing that crown ethers could be made three-dimensional by adding layers. The molecule now formed a cavity, or crypt, that increased the number of contact points to which the metal ions could adhere, thus making the crown ether more selective with regard to the type of molecule it would capture. Lehn called these structures cryptands. They resembled, he said, chemical "locks" that only particular molecular "keys" would fit. Concurrently, another American chemist, Donald J. Cram, was reporting significant findings in molecular selectivity. Cram and Lehn both discovered techniques for synthesizing crown ether molecules into artificial enzymes. Lehn, Pedersen and Cram shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work in "elucidating mechanisms of molecular recognition, which are fundamental to enzymic catalysis, regulation, and transport." Through their combined efforts, they have made it possible to create synthetically molecules and enzymes with enormous pharmacological and research applications; one enzyme developed by Lehn, for instance, binds with the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Because of this research, scientists have the capability of "caging" certain toxic materials, thus either rendering them harmless or making them easier to extract from soil or water. Host-guest chemistry is also useful in the purification of metals. In 1965, Lehn married Sylvie Lederer, with whom he had two sons, David and Mathias. In addition to listening to music and traveling, Lehn enjoys playing the piano, carrying on the musical tradition of his father. In 1979, Lehn moved to Paris, where he became a professor of chemistry and chair of chemistry of molecular interactions at the College de France. Director of the laboratories in both Strasbourg and Paris, he has traveled internationally as a visiting professor and has received a number of awards, including the Paracelsus Prize in 1982, the von Humboldt Prize in 1983, and the Vermeil Medal of Paris in 1989, in addition to the Nobel Prize. He was made chevalier of the Ordre National du Merite in 1976, chevalier of the Legion d' Honneur in 1983, and officier of the Legion d' Honneur in 1988. Lehn is recognized internationally for his work and has published numerous papers and chapters in books on the subject. He continues to build a distinguished career in chemistry.
"A Journey through Chemistry":

The most complex and researched topic of the 21st century that has intrigued scientists worldwide is Human Genome. But what is extremely fascinating about it is that it is the result of interactions of only 4 simple chemical molecules. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that life itself is a big chemical reaction. Chemistry is in our everyday life. Chemicals and their interactions form the basis of our existence. This makes chemistry one of the most researched subjects in science. There are several good scientists working in this field but there aren't many good chemists who can arouse the interest of students in this complex subject. On 10th Feb. 2010, IIT students had a rare opportunity to experience the fascinating world of chemistry projected by a world renowned chemist Professor Jean Marie Lehn, a 1987 Nobel laureate in chemistry. There were no traces of chemistry when universe originated via Big Bang. As the universe cooled down, atoms connected together to make molecules and that was the beginning of chemistry. Eventually molecules interacted to form complex entities which further interacted and finally life evolved. But the perplexing question is how does matter become complex from elementary particles to thinking organism? And more interesting is how this organism takes form of Einstein? What are the forces in operation that give rise to complex matter? Prof Lean Marie Lehn provided answers to several such questions. He defined chemistry as the science that tries to understand structures of entities that make molecular matter and transform them into more complex assemblies. He quickly flipped through the slides highlighting the milestones made by some of the greats like Lavoisier, Dimitri Mendeleev, Joseph Achille and Louis Pasteur. Delving deeper into the field of molecular chemistry he revealed two milestones in it – the synthesis of molecules of urea and Vitamin B12. He quoted several examples that posit that the human body is a result of molecular interactions and recognitions. Addressing a jam-packed audience, Prof. Jean Marie Lehn swiftly shifted the focus from molecular to supramolecular chemistry, chemistry beyond molecules. It is the chemistry of systems based on chemistry of interactions. Whether it is the action of enzymes on substrates or the functioning of cancer cells or the self-assembly of Tobacco Mosaic Virus these mechanisms have their roots deep seated in the field of supramolecular chemistry. He ended the lecture with David Hilbert quote “We must know. We will know”. Overall the lecture was highly informative.