Gérard Férey was a distinguished French chemist born in Bréhal, Normandy in 1941, whose career spanned over five decades of pioneering research in materials science. Beginning as an elementary school teacher at age fourteen, he later pursued chemistry studies, earning his doctorate from Paris 6 University in 1977 after establishing the Chemistry Department at the Le Mans University Institute of Technology in 1968. He served as Professor at Le Mans University from 1981 to 1996 before moving to the University of Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines where he founded the renowned Institut Lavoisier in 1996. As a member of the French Academy of Sciences and the Institut universitaire de France from 1999 to 2009, Férey held the chair of physicochemistry of porous solids, establishing himself as a leading authority in solid-state chemistry.
Férey revolutionized the field of porous materials through his groundbreaking work on metal-organic frameworks, particularly the development of the MIL series of materials that bear his laboratory's name. His innovative approach to designing porous structures with precise control over pore size and functionality earned him the moniker 'architect of matter' as he developed in situ spectroscopic methods to observe the formation mechanisms of these materials in real time. By identifying fundamental building blocks that could be systematically assembled, Férey created hundreds of novel porous compounds with tailored properties for applications ranging from gas storage to catalysis. His research on Materials of Institute Lavoisier substances has inspired a global community of researchers working on metal-organic frameworks, with his methodologies becoming foundational to the field of reticular chemistry.
The scientific legacy of Gérard Férey continues to profoundly influence materials chemistry through the vibrant international community of researchers working on metal-organic frameworks and porous solids. As a dedicated mentor, he nurtured generations of scientists including Christian Serre who now directs the Institute of Porous Materials in Paris, ensuring the continuation of his research vision across laboratories worldwide. His exceptional contributions were recognized with France's highest scientific honor, the CNRS Gold Medal in 2010, alongside the prestigious ENI Prize for the Environment and the Gay-Lussac Humboldt Prize. Beyond his research, Férey championed the discipline of chemistry through initiatives like Ambition Chimie, which sought to enhance public perception of the field, and served as Vice-President of the French Chemical Society in 2007. Though he passed away on August 19, 2017, his innovative spirit lives on through the thousands of researchers advancing the science of porous materials he pioneered.
