grubbs

Grubbs is a surname that has appeared in various fields through individuals who have carried the name. The most widely known bearer is Robert H. Grubbs (1942–2021), an American chemist who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005 for the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis, notably olefin metathesis. Grubbs’s work, including the development of ruthenium-carbene catalysts, helped establish catalytic olefin metathesis as a practical and widely used tool in synthetic chemistry, with applications spanning pharmaceuticals, materials science, and industrial chemistry.

Beyond Robert Grubbs, the surname is associated with other people who have contributed across academia, industry, and public life. As a family name, Grubbs appears in diverse regions and communities, and individuals bearing the name have pursued a range of professional paths. In common usage, Grubbs may be encountered in biographical references, historical records, and contemporary contexts, reflecting its presence as a recognized surname.