Charlie Kresge, R&D vice president of Basic Plastics & Chemicals, Hydrocarbons & Energy, and Licensing, has been recognized with the 2008 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for his contribution to the invention of Mesoporous Crystalline Material (MCM-41). 

MCM-41 has been hailed by several preeminent scientific journals as one of the first commercial manifestations of nanotechnology.  Nothing like this material had ever been envisioned by the material science community prior to its discovery. The patent represents the first of a class of ordered mesoporous molecular sieves, and can be synthesized at specific pore sizes within the 15 to 100 Angstrom range. The precise control over the dimensions of the pores at the nanometer scale continues to expand the horizons of chemists working in the field of molecular sieves. MCM-41 has been, or is currently being evaluated in applications as diverse as subcutaneous drug delivery, mercury removal from wastewater, whitening agents for laundry detergents and toner particles for copiers. 

When asked about his achievement, Charlie said, "It is rewarding to have taken part in launching a new field that has both an important commercial and lasting academic impact.”

The Thomas Alva Edison Patent Awards commemorate the inventive spirit of the man who received more U.S. patents than any other single person, and are presented annually to recognize and encourage technological creativity and leadership.