West was a chemist best known for his groundbreaking research in silicon chemistry as well as for his work with oxocarbons and organolithium compounds.
West's most well-known discovery was the synthesis of the first ever silicon-silicon double bond in 1981, a feat which broke the so-called "double-bond rule" (which stated that main group elements below row two of the periodic table could not form double bonds).
His later interests included the synthesis of silicon-containing anticancer drugs, and the study of silicon and germanium compounds by muon resonance spectroscopy.
He was known for his eccentric lifestyle, liberal political views, and activism for women's reproductive rights both in the US and internationally.
[2] His international interests led to extensive collaborative research with chemistry departments in major universities in countries including Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway and Russia.