Prof. Björn Lindman is nominated for the 2024 ECIS Lyklema prize as the two requirements (ECIS scientist with proven scientific excellence who additionally devoted longtime, sustained and exceptional efforts to ECIS organizational activities and colloid community development) are exceedingly met.
Prof. Björn Lindman’s scientific excellence is proven by the
high-impact of his research work reflected in about 600 scientific papers published in prestigious journals. His research
covers several scientific areas of colloid science, namely ion
binding, amphiphilic self-association, molecular diffusion in
solution and polymer-surfactant systems. Using and developing NMR techniques he contributed to the understanding of the different interactions in aqueous ionic systems (ion-ion, ion-solvent and ion-solute), to the characterization of self-assembly in colloidal multicomponent systems and to the quantitative interpretation of experimental self- diffusion coefficients. His contributions in these areas have been highly influential and crucial in the development of science and technology. Furthermore, research on the biopolymers DNA and cellulose, initiated more recently, has also made a great impact. A significant contribution is the elucidation of the mechanism of cellulose dissolution in different solvents showing the key role of intermolecular hydrophobic interactions.
In addition to his role introducing scientific areas, Prof. B. Lindman’s leadership and ability to establish and facilitate scientific collaborations are highly remarkable. For all his accomplishments he has been awarded with numerous and prestigious prizes among them the Overbeek Gold Medal of the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS) in 2008 and Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Association of Colloid and Interface Scientists (IACIS) in 2015.
His contributions to scientific organizations are also exceptional. Concerning ECIS, he is one of the founding fathers of the Society who has provided from the beginning and continuously excellent and valuable services to this community. He was a member of the steering committee (together with Prof. V. Degiorgio and Prof. H. Hoffmann) that prepared a draft of the statutes of ECIS during the European Workshop “New Trends n Colloid Science” held in Como (Italy) in 1986. There, ECIS was founded, the first General Assembly was held, the Secretariat was initially established (1987-89) in his department at Lund University and the 1st Conference of ECIS was scheduled for the following year, 1987, in Como. Since then, he has participated actively in most of ECIS Conferences (as a member of the scientific committee, plenary and invited lecturer etc.). Without doubt, he holds a record on sustained participation and support to the ECIS Conferences. Prof. B. Lindman has served the ECIS community as President in the period 1998-1999. It is worth noting his task helping, advising and encouraging the conference organizers. His strong leadership has attracted participants from all over the world to ECIS Conferences which has facilitated and widened the exchange of ideas and fruitful research cooperation among them. For all the work done for the Society, he is an Honorary Member of ECIS.