His major scientific achievements are: the discovery of the catalytic effect of fluoride ion; 
the discovery of the zwitterionic bicyclobutane; 
the formulation of the leading theory on the origin of the α-effect; 
the relationship between nucleophilicity and the Periodic Table; 
the discovery of a molecule forty times harder than diamond in one dimension; 
the first discovery of a molecule having a negative Poisson’s ratio; 
the formulation of guidelines and methods for the use of SmI2 in organic reactions.