Meet the Medallists: Keith Bartle on SFC and his career in chromatography

On considering possible contributors to Chromatography Today it was obvious that the distinguished scientists who, over the years, had received awards from the Chromatographic Society (Martin and Jubilee medals – visit www.chromsoc.com) constituted a pool of considerable wealth of knowledge and experience.

One such medallist is Keith Bartle, Emeritus Professor of Physical Chemistry, University of Leeds. Keith has a career-long record of innovation in analytical separation methods, using gaseous, supercritical fluid, and liquid media, and in applications of these methods in fossil-fuel, environmental, natural-product and pharmaceutical chemistry. He was awarded the Jubilee Medal of The Chromatographic Society in 1990 and later went on to serve on the Society’s Executive Committee for seven years, including a twoyear period of office as the Society’s President from 1998 to 2000.

When the concept of setting up a “Meet the Medallists” series of interviews was first mooted, it was envisaged that the setting for a chat with Keith would be over a cool pint of beer on a balmy English summer afternoon by a cricket field in Keith’s native Yorkshire. As events transpired, the timing of this SFC-themed issue of Chromatography Today dictated that the interview would take place in the middle of winter and heavy snowfalls and Arctic temperatures dictated that much of the discussion was electronic or over the telephone. Nonetheless we’re sure this won’t detract from the merit of what Keith had to say: