SCIENTIST Graham Hutchings has struck gold with one of the highest honours in the academic world.

He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) for his research and particularly for his pioneering contributions in the use of gold for catalysis.

Prof Hutchings, who is based at Cardiff University’s School of Chemistry, credited his teachers at the former Weymouth Grammar School for first inspiring his love of chemistry.

He said: “I am extremely pleased to be elected.

“It is a great honour not only to myself, but also to my current and former research group members and to those who have supported me over the years.”

Professor Hutchings, aged 58, added: “My chemistry teacher Mr Beverley at the grammar school was very inspirational.

“I was first hooked when I saw my first experiment when I was 11, in another teacher’s class, a Mr Welch.

“It was the first chemistry experiment I saw.”

Prof Hutchings tried to repeat the experiment at home, which involved distilling a purple solution into a colourless liquid.

He said: “I managed to blow it up at home. I was banned from doing experiments at home after that.”

Prof Hutchings grew up in Hereford Road, Westham, Weymouth. His brother is the former borough councillor, Andy Hutchings. Prof Hutchings, who now lives in Symonds Yat, near Ross-on-Wye, is married to Sally. Their children are Jenny, 34, Joanna, 32, Matthew, 23, and Bethany, 16.

The Royal Society awards the lifetime Fellowships to the most eminent scientists, engineers and technologists in the UK and Commonwealth.

Prof Hutchings’s honour was the culmination of his work in industry, university research, papers, prizes and awards.

The awards are regarded in the scientific world as second only to a Nobel Prize in prestige. Professor Hutchings was elected for his pioneering contributions in the use of gold for catalysis – the process for making chemical reactions go faster.

He was the first to predict and subsequently demonstrate that gold would be a highly effective catalyst for ethyne hydrochlorination, establishing a new field of catalysis.

Previously gold was considered as an inactive metal for catalysis purposes.

Prof Hutchings is now Professor of Physical Chemistry and director of the Cardiff CatalysisInstitute.