Kees Hummelen: a creative, inspirational and unorthodox scientist from Groningen

To mark the occasion of the official retirement of Prof. J. C. (Kees) Hummelen, the Journal of Materials Chemistry C has dedicated a special issue to honour his achievements in the field of materials chemistry. This personal essay, written by his study mate, close colleague and long-standing friend, highlights the pioneering contributions that Kees Hummelen has made in various fields of organic and materials chemistry during his 45 year long career. His research in chemistry began with asymmetric synthesis and chemiluminescence and culminated in his most notable results in the field of fullerene chemistry and the development of organic photovoltaic technology. More recently, he has also been active in the field of materials for molecular field-effect transistors, biosensors and the development of single molecule electronics based on internal π logic. He was also a dedicated teacher and was deeply involved in societal challenges. Because of my personal relationship with Kees during all of those 45 years, I have written this essay in a somewhat unorthodox way; a way that is so characteristic of Kees.