In recognition for his contributions to the theory of electron-transfer reactions in chemical systems, Rudolph A. Marcus was awarded the 1992 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Marcus received the news of his award while attending a meeting of the Electrochemical Society in Toronto, Canada; the award recognized work he had done in the 1950s and 1960s, but some controversy had surrounded his discoveries until they were validated in the 1980s. Marcus was able to understand the way a basic chemical reaction occurs, where electron transfers take place, how fast the electrons travel, and how they affect the results. His work was a breakthrough for chemists because it enabled them to make selections on the basis of bringing about specific outcomes. His work has been applied in a variety of areas, such as photosynthesis, electrically conducting polymers, chemiluminescence (cold light), and corrosion.

Rudolph Arthur Marcus, the only son of Myer and...