Mark A. Ratner (1942-2026): Founded molecular electronics while spearheading the growth of science at Northwestern University.

Mark A. Ratner’s 1974 theoretical framework showed how a molecule can act as a rectifier, catalyzing extensive molecular electronics research.

• Why it matters: The field needed an early, rigorous basis for molecular rectification to guide subsequent experimental and theoretical work.
• What they did: Ratner authored a 1974 paper laying out the theoretical framework for molecular rectifiers, which then stimulated many follow-on ideas.
• The result: The rectifier concept and related ideas drove a large, ongoing body of studies, and Ratner’s leadership at Northwestern further shaped the scientific enterprise.

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