maca.xml Finding aid to the Papers of Alan MacDiarmid maca Finding aid prepared by John Dennison J C Beaglehole Room, Victoria University of Wellington Library
P O Box 3438 Wellington, 6140 +64 4 4635681 Email JCBeaglehole-Room@vuw.ac.nz
2011

Sent to Chemistry Subject Librarian for QA, 21/6/2011

 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2011-07-04T12:41+1200 English Papers of Alan MacDiarmid maca J C Beaglehole Room, Victoria University of Wellington Library 3500.0 Linear centimeters 13 Boxes 1884-2010 MacDiarmid, Alan Graham, Professor, 1927-2007, Nobel Laureate, ONZ Scope and Contents note

The records held in this collection consist of personal and ephemeral items which have been donated by his family. They include certificates, medals, publications, photographs, clippings, notebooks, university ephemera, printed slides from presentations, some teaching and research material, chemical samples, models, a banner, a framed 'genealogy of influence', a typewriter, and other realia.

 Biographical/Historical note

Alan Graham MacDiarmid ONZ (1927-2007) was a Victoria B.Sc. Honours graduate from 1949 who went on to great things including (in collaboration with the Japanese chemist Hideki Shirakawa and the American physicist Alan Heeger) the discovery and development of conductive polymers. The trio shared the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work. Although much of his professional life was spent at the University of Pennsylvania, and more recently also at the University of Texas, Dallas, MacDiarmid maintained a strong association with New Zealand, and his Nobel Prize medal is on display in the MacDiarmid building at Victoria University of Wellington.

 Arrangement note

Apart from those outsize or otherwise physically awkward items which have been separated out of the main sequence, all items have been boxed sequentially according to their numerical identifier. There are 13 boxes, including MacDiarmid's typewriter.

 MacDiarmid's career in chemistry

Papers relating to Alan MacDiarmid's academic career in chemistry are held at the Othmer Library of Chemical History, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, USA. The collection there extends to 150 linear feet, 5 linear feet of which is photographs and other objects. It includes a comprehensive run of correspondence, and papers relating to grants, lectures, meetings and awards.

 Separated Materials note

Item 142, MacDiarmid's Nobel Prize medal, is on permanent display in the MacDiarmid Building, Victoria University of Wellington, Kelburn campus.

 Chemistry Science Scientists Series 01. Correspondence macas01 c.1892-2006 2: Testimonial letter for MacDiarmid by P. Robertson, Professor of Chemistry at Victoria maca00002 14 December 1949 15: Telegrams congratulating MacDiarmid on a scholarship [photographs] maca00015 c.1941 72: Printed email correspondence between MacDiarmid and D.J. Yang maca00072 2006 82: Hutt Valley High School Magazine, 1941; contains a copy of letter to MacDiarmid from 1944 maca00082 c.1941-1944 89: Correspondence and related papers between MacDiarmid and fellow researchers maca00089 1981-1986 119: Correspondence between MacDiarmid and University Science, Engineering and Technology, Inc. maca00119 1991 129: Colour photocopy of letter from Ernest Rutherford to Archie MacDiarmid (Alan's father) maca00129 27 February 1931 Existence and Location of Originals note

Original letter in item 144.

 130: Colour photocopy of letter from Archie MacDiarmid to his father maca00130 January 1892 Existence and Location of Originals note

Original letter in item 144.

 131: Colour photocopy of letter from Mary Rutherford to Mr (Archie?) MacDiarmid after the death of Ernest Rutherford maca00131 Existence and Location of Originals note

Original letter in item 144.

 144: Envelope with annotation by MacDiarmid, containing: 1) mss note 15/2/58 to Alan from 'Dad' re 'enclosed misc papers may interest you'; 2) mss letter Jan 1892 to 'Father' from Archie {Archibald was Alan's father], annotated 'I was spending a holiday at Rutherfords...AGMD'; 3) typed letter 27/2/1931 from Rutherford to MacDiarmid, with typed envelope to A. C. MacDiarmid; 4) mss letter 14 Jan n.d. from Mary (i.e. Lady) Rutherford [Mary Georgina nee Newton (1876–1945)] to Mr MacDiarmid re letter of condolence maca00144 1892-1958 Existence and Location of Copies note

MacDiarmid items 129-131 are copies of some of these letters.

 Series 02. Personal papers macas02 c.1907-2003 20: Birth and marriage certificates with personal papers including correspondence, newspaper clippings and a photograph maca00020 1937-2003 35: Personal papers, including a birth certificate, correspondence, travel documents, cheque book, medical card and other papers maca00035 1955-1998 56: International driving permit maca00056 July 1953 57: Driver's licence maca00057 1947-1950 59: R.M.S Queen Mary passenger list maca00059 23 December 1952 60: Passport maca00060 1950-1960 66: Laminated identity card maca00066 68: Heitiki Club annual dinner menus maca00068 24 March 1954 69: Heitiki Club annual dinner menu maca00069 28 January 1953 96: Receipt from photo portrait studio maca00096 1907? 100: Papers relating to MacDiarmid's undergraduate education, including grades, letters of recommendation, and reports maca00100 1944-1961 112: Minute of agreement with the University of St Andrews regarding superannuation maca00112 1955 120: Notepad; includes working notes, phone numbers, etc. maca00120 127: Certificate of naturalisation, USA maca00127 1966 Series 03. Research papers and publications by Alan MacDiarmid macas03 c.1950-2005 Scope and Contents note

This series consists of research papers and publications by MacDiarmid. In most cases, MacDiarmid shares the authorship of published papers with his fellow researchers.

 7: MacDiarmid, ed. 'The Bond to Halogens and Halogenoids: Part II' [book] maca00007 1972 34: 'Scientific American', February 1988; includes an article by MacDiarmid maca00034 1988 67: Notebook containing research notes maca00067 71: 'Polyaniline gels a new form of polyaniline' [lecture notes] maca00071 c.1990 75: 'Thin films on conjugated polymers: application in sensors for hydrocarbon vapors, microcontact-printed liquid crystal displays and light-emitting devices' [research paper] maca00075 12 Aug 1997 76: 'Science and technology of conducting polymers' [draft research paper, first version] maca00076 24 June 1991 77: 'Science and technology of conducting polymers' [draft research paper, second version] maca00077 25 June 1991 78: Photocopied research notes maca00078 79: 'Electroactive polymers: application in sensors for volatile orgranic compounds and in novel led's' [research paper] maca00079 1997 80: 'Synthetic metals: a novel role for organic polymers' [research paper] maca00080 6 December 1996 83: 'Conducting polymer' [course materials] maca00083 9-10 November 1992 84: 'Electronic polymers: novel materials for the 21st century' [research paper] maca00084 5 July 2005 86: Holograph and printed notes maca00086 c.1999 87: 'The world is becoming smaller' [printed powerpoint slides] maca00087 10 December 2000 88: 'New materials for the 21st century: electronic polymers and nanoscience' [printed powerpoint slides] maca00088 94: 'Polyaniline and nanoscience' [printed powerpoint slides] maca00094 2004 101: Research notes, including graphs maca00101 105: 'The nature of the dopant species in arsenic pentaflouride-doped polyacetylene' [rough draft of research paper] maca00105 19 December 1979 106: 'Results and discussion' [possibly relates to item 105] maca00106 29 July 1980 107: 'Solutions in polyacetylene: magnetic susceptibility' [research paper] maca00107 111: 'Conducting polymers: the concept of p- and n- doping' [research paper] maca00111 10 October 1983 115: 'Secondary doping in polyaniline' [research paper] maca00115 14 November 1994? 116: 'Dependency of conductivity-selected doped conducting polymers on unusual 'through-space' electric field effect' [printed powerpoint slides] maca00116 20 August 2002 118: 'The Polyanilines: a novel class of conducting polymers' [research paper] maca00118 133: PhD thesis, University of Cambridge; bound typescript maca00133 136: MSc thesis, Victoria College, University of New Zealand; bound typescript maca00136 Series 04. Other research papers and publications macas04 c.1971-2006 Scope and Contents note

This series consists of research papers and publications authored by other researchers, or of uncertain authorship. In some cases papers may be the work of MacDiarmid, but this has not yet been positively ascertained.

 61: Transparencies belonging to 'Xun' maca00061 1991 62: Transparencies belonging to 'Drew McGhie' maca00062 63: Papers relating to 'Redox doping', addressed to MacDiarmid maca00063 64: 'Sun's PhD lecture transparencies', addressed to MacDiarmid maca00064 70: Transparencies relating to Professors Whitman and Smith maca00070 74: 'Poly-anilines: synthesis, characterization and applications' [paper by student of MacDiarmid's] maca00074 81: 'The polyanilines: a novel class of conducting polymers' maca00081 85: Research by 'Aimeiwu' sent to MacDiarmid maca00085 27 September 2006 95: Invention disclosure addressed to MacDiarmid maca00095 1991 102: 'Resolution of controversy concerning morphology and crystal structure of polyacetylene' by Y. Yamashita et al. maca00102 30 July 1988 103: 'X-ray photoelectron spectra of dopant molecules for conducting polymers. Vapor phase core level binding energies for arsenic and antimony pentaflourides' [research paper] maca00103 30 July 1980 104: Transparencies entitled 'View graphics for Oxford' maca00104 108: 'Paramagnetism and semiconductivity in organic molecular complexes' [research paper] maca00108 1975-1976 109: 'Electrical conductivity of tetracyanoquinodimethane crystals' maca00109 1971-1972 110: 'Effects of oxygen, nitrogen dioxide and trifluoroborane on photoconductivity of Perylene and Phthalocynine single crystals' [research paper] maca00110 1980-1981 113: Transparencies, lecture outlines and research notes maca00113 114: 'Conductivity chart: stretch and unstretched (CH) x2 magnifications' maca00114 117: Teaching material relating to polyanilines maca00117 1990 121: Research papers belonging to 'Chao-Lin', possibly a student of MacDiarmid's maca00121 Series 05. Scientific samples and models macas05 19??-2001 17: Test tube sample maca00017 28: Chemical samples of polypyrrole-modified nomex felt, nomex felt, pani/dinitrocellulose composite film acid form, pani/dinitrocellulose composite film base form maca00028 53: Sample with electrical wires maca00053 137: 16 chemical samples: (a) 'Prep #19, p.28', 148mm; (b) 'SN-37', 150mm; (c) '?-300g' title, obscured by label 'Professor Alan G. MacDiarmid, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelpia, Pa. 19174', 142mm; (d) #17 S-B, 11/31/74', 140mm; (e)'[?]SNBr.Q3 from Heating SNBr.4 85-95 C 15hrs. for physics people', 120mm; (f) 'SN-13-6, WALL', also label 'Professor Alan G. MacDiarmid, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelpia, Pa. 19174', 145mm; (g) 'BR331, ck too [?] for [?] sealed 3-17-77. SNBr 39', 144mm; (h) 'Prep. 36', 171mm; (i) Label only 'Professor Alan G. MacDiarmid, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelpia, Pa. 19174', 213mm; (j) 'SN-12' also label 'Professor Alan G. MacDiarmid, Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelpia, Pa. 19174', 160mm. maca00137 138: Early example of Polyacetylene, the compound which essentially led to the Nobel Prize maca00138 140: Device to identify conductivity in solids, made by Alan in his basement at home maca00140 14 April 2001 Series 06. Certificates and medals macas06 c.1948-2005 4: Certificate relating to a plaque laid in 1999 by the American Chemical Society to mark MacDiarmid's historic discovery in 1977 maca00004 1977; 1999 5: Certificate marking MacDiarmid's election to the National Academy of Engineering, USA maca0005 9: 'Les Prix Nobel; The Nobel Prizes 2000' (Nobel Foundation, 2001) [book] maca00009 13: Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania maca00013 18: Medal from Universite De Mons-Hainaut maca00018 29: Certificate marking MacDiarmid's position as chief scientist at the 'Farsighted Group New Energy Research Institute' maca00029 15 October 2004 30: Certificate from the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation maca00030 15 April 2005 31: Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemists maca00031 4 June 1984 32: Madison Marshall Award from the North Alabama Section of the American Chemical Society maca00032 22 February 1982 33: Framed genealogy of scientific influence relating to MacDiarmid maca00033 1994 36: BSc certificate from the University of New Zealand maca00036 7 May 1948 37: MSc certificate from the University of New Zealand maca00037 5 May 1950 39: Citation for honorary doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington maca00039 10 December 1999 44: Certificate of membership, Beta Chapter, Honorary Chemical Society maca00044 45: Bruno Breyer Medal from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Electro-Chemical Division maca00045 46: Medal from the Department of Chemistry at Korea University maca00046 16 November 1991 52: Certificate of membership from Society of the Stigma XI maca00052 5 May 1952 73: John Scott Award from the City of Philadelphia maca00073 13 November 1989 125: Certificate of Matriculation, University of New Zealand maca00125 1952 132: Replica of the Nobel medal (two pieces, 64 mm diameter) maca00132 142: Nobel Prize medal maca00142 2000 143: Nobel Prize certificate; bound in leather-covered boards, with original artwork maca00143 2000 Series 07. Personal realia macas07 c.1927-2000 16: Typewriter maca00016 41: Small blue peaked hat maca00041 42: Academic gown maca00042 43: Penn State Univeristy banner congratulating MacDiarmid on his Nobel Prize maca00043 2000 48: Box of chalk pastels maca00048 49: Knitted wollen baby booties maca00049 50: Slide rule maca00050 54: Trig slide rule manual maca00054 1960 65: Engraving plate inscribed 'Mr Arch. C. MacDiarmid' maca00065 139: MacDiarmid's first microscope; given to him when he was eight years old maca00139 Series 08. Childhood papers macas08 c.1937-1941 6: E.J. Holmyard. 'A Higher School Certificate in Organic Chemistry'; studied by MacDiarmid as a boy maca00006 122: Reference from the Principal of Hutt Valley High School maca00122 123: School Report, Hutt Valley High School maca00123 1941 124: Plan for television transmitter, aged 12, holograph maca00124 126: Holograph letter of recommendation from milk delivery job maca00126 134: Reproduction copy of Collins, A. Frederick, 'The Boy Chemist' (Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, Co, 1924) [one of 30 reproduction copies made in 2002 by the Royal Society of New Zealand; Collins's book had an important formative influence on the young MacDiarmid] maca00134 135: Standard VI, Waterloo Primary School science book, aged 12 maca00135 Series 09. Magazine and newspaper clippings macas09 1944-1969 3: Article in 'The Northern Advocate' on MacDiarmid's work maca00003 30 June 1964 10: Copies of Cappicade (Victoria College, Wellington) maca00010 1947, 1948, 1950 38: 'New Zealand Free Lance: The National Pictorial Weekly'; features photographs of MacDiarmid's marriage to Marion Mathieu maca00038 4 August 1954 40: 'New Zealand Weekly News'; includes an article written by Archibald MacDiarmid maca00040 26 May 1969 51: Copies of the magazines 'Almanac' and 'Chemical and Engineering' maca00051 1976-1981 55: 'Taranaki Herald'; includes article relating to MacDiarmid's father and uncles maca00055 20 April 1957 90: Copies of 'Cappicade' (Victoria College, Wellington) maca00090 1944, 1947 Series 10. Papers about MacDiarmid macas10 1960-2010 1: Papers relating to display on MacDiarmid maca00001 2010 14: Biographical material for display on MacDiarmid maca00014 2003-2007 19: Paper napkin with drawings on it from MacDiarmid's funeral maca00019 2007 128: Service sheet for Memorial Service for Alan MacDiarmid maca00128 March 2007 141: Mounted notes for display on MacDiarmid maca00141 2010 Series 11. Photographs macas11 c.1884-2003 11: Ruby Noel Willis Graham, b. 7 Nov. 1882 maca00011 March 1884 12: Alan MacDiarmid, portrait maca00012 21: Award at Government House maca00021 22: MacDiarmid and wife after receiving award at Government House maca00022 23: MacDiarmid and Dame Sylvia Cartwright after award at Government House maca00023 24: Award at Government House maca00024 25: Award at Government House maca00025 26: MacDiarmid in laboratory maca00026 27: MacDiarmid and older man maca00027 47: Album relating to the AMN-1 Conference, Wellington [AMN: The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology] maca00047 February 2003 58: Chemical samples and experiments maca00058 97: MacDiarmid, age 3; taken in the Manawatu maca00003 c.1931 98: MacDiarmid and peers at 21st birthday of E [Evan?] Ting maca00098 August 1943 99: Portrait of unidentified young man by a London studio maca00099