Nesta edição: Clifford Bunton fala com o QMCWEB

Um dos mais importantes químicos da atualidade, Dr. Clifford Bunton é uma lenda viva na físico-química orgânica. Muitos atribuem a ele a "paternidade" desta área da química. Trabalha, atualmente, como pesquisador na UCSB (CA/US). Um nome que já faz parte da história dos grandes químicos (Bunton foi orientado por Ingold!), Bunton também foi - e ainda é - orientador de vários professores e estudantes da UFSC. Percorrendo o mundo, Bunton deixou discípulos pelos quatro cantos do planeta, que hoje ocupam posições estratégicas no cenário científico mundial. Tão significativo, que a revista Langmuir dedicou um exemplar exclusivo para homenagear este brilhante cientista, na ocasião de seus 80 anos. Nesta semana, Dr. Bunton - ou Cliff, como prefere ser chamado - esteve no departamento de Química da UFSC (com o qual mantém colaboração). E concedeu esta brilhante entrevista para o QMCWEB:

QMCWEB:// You have been acclaimed the "father" of the modern generation of physical organic chemists. Among the several people that have passed through your lab, one can find several who became very successful chemists. How do you look at it? Do you think that the work you started is now in good hands?
Cliff :// I don't see myself as father of anything, but I have been working as a physical-organic chemist longer than most people. Whether this makes my comments useful is a question that I'll put on one side. I owe a great deal to my collaborators and some of them have made their name in academia and others in industry. many of them have moved into completely new areas which indicates that physical-organic research is great training. Individuals have to be aware of many aspects of Chemistry, and sometimes Physics and have to be able to recognize the subleties of their results and keep an open mind without too many preconceptions. It is now easy to rationalize observations in Organic Chemistry and I think that individuals fail to see how little we really understand- how do we explain solvent effects at a fundamenal level, for example.

QMCWEB://One of the world oldest universities (Perugia, Italy) gave to you a "Doctoris Honoris Causa" degree; this is only one of the several titles you got around the world. Looking back in the past, did you wonder about success at the first time you came to a laboratory?
Cliff :// Of course not, one hopes to be able to do enjoyable work. After that one follows a star.

QMCWEB://The media is taking some old skeletons out from the wardrobe: the chemical weapons are back on the people small talk. This is also one of the several projects you have been working with. What is the real danger these chemicals represent to the human race and what is your group doing related to chemical weapons?
Cliff ://We have to worry about the environment and both educate and try to solve real-world problems. I am very concerned about the use of chemical weapons by terrorists and rogue states. It is much easier to prepare these materials than to get rid of them. As my old friend Fred Menger said "Chemists made these weapons, chemists have to help to destroy them". An understanding of reaction mechanism is a good staring point in tackling this threat.

QMCWEB:// Your name is known all over the world; perhaps in part because you have established some collaborations with scientist from several countries. How do you see Brazil in the scientific scenario? Are we doing fine? What could change (for better)?
Cliff :// Brazil is like other countries in having many able scholars. However, many departments are ill-equipped and seriously under- funded.. Libraries are a major problem, in part because of the high cost of journals. This problem will be solved as electronic communication becomes cheaper and more available and this is an area in which International Agencies should be playing a financial role.

QMCWEB:// You have, in our group, a Ph.D. candidate who came from our university (UFSC) in Brazil. This student is also under the supervise, in Brazil, of Dr. Faruk - who has also been supervised by you in US. Is it good to work with Brazilians? How do you see these two distinct generations of Brazilian scientists?
Cliff :// Josiel is doing very well and has made a major advance in his thesis work, to a large extent because he has access to high- field NMR spectroscopy. He is very enterprising and takes initiative in trying things that are long shots. I can't tell where he will go in the future but the present is very encouraging, as for most young S.American chemists who have spent time in N.America or the US.

QMCWEB:// Do you have an advice for a young chemist willing to be a good and well known scientist like you? Is there any "recipe" ?
Cliff :// If the young are wise they won't worry too much about seeking advice from the old. Observation is another matter and is a good method of avoiding mistakes that others make. There is no "recipe" except that everyone can learn from their collaborators, and that one can be very lucky in having able mentors. Scientists are luckier than many people in that they can hope to spend their life doing interesting work, a privilege denied to many people.