Jack David Dunitz

Dunitz's early research was mainly on the use of crystal structure analysis as a tool for studying chemical problems. From his laboratory came the method of deriving model pathways for prototypic chemical reactions from structural information in crystal structures, thus connecting the statics of crystals and the dynamics of reacting chemical systems. Other work in related directions included studies of atomic motion in crystals before he turned to problems of polymorphism, phase transformations in solids, and solid-state chemical reactions. His late work concerned the role of weak intermolecular interactions in condensed phases.