DOCSLIB.ORG

50 Years of the Paul Karrer Gold Medal: 1959–2009

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
50 Years of the Paul Karrer Gold Medal: 1959–2009 ASPECTS OF CHEMISTRY AT UZH FROM WERNER TO THE PRESENT DAY CHIMIA 2009, 63, No. 9 545 doi:10.2533/chimia.2009.545 Chimia 63 (2009) 545–550 © Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft 50 Years of the Paul Karrer Gold Medal: 1959–2009 Jay S. Siegel* Abstract: Founded on the occasion of Paul Karrer’s 70th Birthday, the Paul Karrer Medal in Gold celebrates its 50th anniversary having recognized the outstanding science of 34 molecular scientists. Keywords: Karrer, P. · Paul Karrer Gold Medal Introduction plishments improve our overall standard of living through a number of derived appli- The first Paul Karrer Lecture took place cations to help solve technologically relat- on the occasion of the public celebration ed social problems. However, equally im- of Paul Karrer’s 70th birthday, 25th April, portant is that recognition of excellence in 1959, in the Auditorium of the University research and scholarship raises the bar on of Zurich. The guest speaker and first re- intellectual discourse in society, and there- cipient of the Paul Karrer Medal was Ar- by enriches our daily lives. Paraphrasing thur Stoll, a congenial colleague of Paul UZH alumnus, Albert Einstein, the level of Karrer. Both had returned to Switzerland intellect needed to solve a problem must from prestigious German research insti- be higher than that needed to create it. All tutions in 1917 in order to continue their the more important then that we preserve illustrious careers in Switzerland: Paul and support institutions, such as awards of Karrer as a professor at the University of excellence, that strive to identify pioneers Zurich, and Arthur Stoll as the director of in science and technology. pharmaceutical and chemical research at Paul Karrer lived the ideal that the Sandoz AG in Basel. Karrer and Stoll both award bearing his name represents. Born died in 1971. to Swiss parents in Moscow, he returned Between the first Karrer lecture and to- to Zurich at a young age. An accomplished day, there have been fifty years of exciting Kantonsschüler (high school student) in and pioneering developments in the field Aargau, he entered UZH in 1911 and stud- of organic chemistry and the thereby in- ied chemistry with Alfred Werner. During fluenced related fields, such as molecular that time he almost gave up his studies due biology and structural biochemistry. Evi- to financial problems in the family, initi- dence of these developments is document- ated by an unexpected departure of his ed by the lectures of the recipients of the father. Paul Karrer Medal who were chosen over Karrer’s passion for a broad spectrum the course of these fifty years. Among the of natural science and its application to recipients are ten Nobel Prize winners for Paul Karrer Gold Medal societal problems led him into medicine chemistry and for medicine, and they have and natural product chemistry, where he represented numerous important research could study botany through the chemical institutions of Europe and the USA. American Chemical Society today, barely substances that each plant produced as In 1959, prizes in chemistry were not a dozen have a longer history in recogniz- colorants or other secondary metabolites. so abundant as they are today. Of the over ing achievements in chemical research than He recognized early on the importance of 60 National ACS awards boasted by the the Karrer Medal. Among those, the pres- physics and physical chemistry to the deter- tigious Roger Adams Award was founded mination of the structure of matter, and that the same year as the Karrer medal. structure determines function physically as Internationally, the Nobel Prize, found- well as physiologically; this is a broader ed in 1901, is the signal award across aca- corollary of his post-doctoral mentor, Paul demic disciplines. Comparable traditional Ehrlich’s theory of medicinal magic bul- awards for chemistry include the New York lets, in which molecules of defined struc- ACS regional Nichols Medal (1902) and ture would treat disease selectively. the national ACS Priestley Medal (1922) These broad interests appear also in *Correspondence: Prof. Dr. J. S. Siegel Karrer’s text book on organic chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry Prestigious awards of historical impor- University of Zurich tance, like the Karrer Medal, have served which from 1929 and throughout its 13 Winterthurerstrasse 190 an important role over the years not only to revisions, maintained a selection of appen- CH-8006 Zurich recognize carrier achievements, but also to dices that connected the chemical theory of Tel.: +41 44 635 4281 Fax: +41 44 635 6888 promote chemistry by highlighting publi- the main text to statistical and demographi- E-mail: [email protected] cally advances in research. These accom- cal issues, such as industrial chemical pro- 546 CHIMIA 2009, 63, No. 9 ASPECTS OF CHEMISTRY AT UZH FROM WERNER TO THE PRESENT DAY duction or societal dependent consumption France, Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands, medal for his former UZH colleague turned of alcohol. Thus, a connection between each once. ETH Professor, Gerold Schwarzenbach. intellectual advances in science and an in- A broad spectrum of institutions have Medicine and medicinal chemistry were creased social economy was forged. served as homes to Karrer medalists. The extremely important areas to Paul Karrer. Karrer’s fundamental research in vita- favorite is none other than our sister insti- He often mused that he had wished to be a mins further connected nature, chemistry, tution ETH Zürich, with five previous re- medical doctor if not that the need to find a and human health, while creating an enor- cipients, most recently Albert Eschenmoser job so quickly had driven him into chemis- mous prosperity for Switzerland through in 2008 as the special UZH 175th Jubilee try. His two sons Heinz and Jürg both took its chemical, pharmaceutical and food sci- Awardee. Next comes a triumvirate of aca- up this dream and passed it on to grandson ence industries. Karrer noted in his speech demia: Caltech, Cambridge, and Harvard Peter Karrer who practices medicine today. as Rektor (President) of UZH in 1950 the each having three. Munich has had two, and The medical applications of chemical re- good fortune of the Swiss (specifically Zur- the rest are spread over numerous illustrious search, such as those in biochemistry and ich) people to have such great institutions of halls of higher learning. clinical chemistry play a center role in no higher learning and research in the sciences, The topics of research have spanned the less than a dozen Karrer medal awards. Kar- and how directly the quality of life enjoyed broad spectrum of chemistry, with a focus rer strongly believed that chemistry had a by every citizen is connected to their sup- on topics that Paul Karrer himself pursued place in basic medical sciences and in the port of excellence in such institutions. or considered interesting. The most favored finding of active and selective medicinal The need not only to do great research, areas have been synthetic chemistry (9), agents for treating disease. It is evident from but to recognize and foster that research, vitamins (8), natural products (5), biosyn- Karrer’s early letters to Paul Ehrlich asking was dearly important to Karrer. Perhaps thesis (4), nucleic acids (4), hormones (4), initially about the biological testing of ar- influenced by his own personal situation metal complex/coordination chemistry (4), senic compounds and later inquiring for a as a student, Karrer founded in 1933, to- analytical methods (3), oxidation studies position, that Karrer brought his passion gether with Swiss Industry, the Stiftung f. (2), separation science (2), and stereochem- for biologically and medicinally relevant Stipendien a. d. Gebiet Chemie (Fund for istry (2). chemistry to Ehrlich’s labs where they were Stipends in the area of Chemistry). This Ten of the recipients have also won honed to a fine edge. fund predates the Swiss National Science Nobel Prizes: Tiselius, Todd, Ochoa, Theo- After 50 years, the Karrer medal has Foundation by decades, and has provided rell, Wald, Wittig, Prelog, Corey, Zewail, earned a reputation as an international money for young chemists to devote them- Grubbs. George Wald is an especially wor- award that recognizes great achievements selves to the study of chemistry without thy highlight in that he was an American in science centered about organic chem- worry about financial pressures that often trained in Karrer’s lab, who discovered the istry. Through these awards it has shown drive intelligent but underprivileged stu- carotinoids with Karrer, before going on in the central nature of organic chemistry to dents away from study and into labor. his own career to elucidate the molecular thriving areas of medical science, materials Another vehicle for the recognition and structure of the visual pigments and mecha- engineering, and molecular synthesis. UZH fostering of great science has been focused nism for visual excitation. is proud to host this institution of excellence conferences that bring together the great Karrer was a great enthusiast for chem- and looks with great anticipation to another minds of the day around a table to debate istry and was responsible for helping to es- 50 years of Paul Karrer Medal lectures. important issues. Among such meetings, tablish the Physical Chemistry Institute. He the Solvay Conferences for Chemistry and understood the importance of spectroscopy Physics, established by Belgian industrialist and analytic methods for the characteriza- Board of Trustees E. Solvay back in 1911, stand as paramount tion of natural product molecular structure examples of scientific excellence. It is not and function. He was convinced of the need The trustees consist of the Rector of the surprising that of 22 such conferences in for a strong physical chemistry at UZH to University of Zurich, two representatives chemistry, Paul Karrer presided over four ensure the overall strength of chemistry on from the professors of the University of during the years 1947–1956, including campus.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Significance and Implications of Vitamin B-12 Reaction Shema- ETH ZURICH VARIANT: Mechanisms and Insights
    Taylor University Pillars at Taylor University Student Scholarship: Chemistry Chemistry and Biochemistry Fall 2019 Significance and Implications of Vitamin B-12 Reaction Shema- ETH ZURICH VARIANT: Mechanisms and Insights David Joshua Ferguson Follow this and additional works at: https://pillars.taylor.edu/chemistry-student Part of the Analytical Chemistry Commons, Inorganic Chemistry Commons, Organic Chemistry Commons, Other Chemistry Commons, and the Physical Chemistry Commons CHEMISTRY THESIS SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPLICATIONS OF VITAMIN B-12 REACTION SCHEMA- ETH ZURICH VARIANT: MECHANISMS AND INSIGHTS DAVID JOSHUA FERGUSON 2019 2 Table of Contents: Chapter 1 6 Chapter 2 17 Chapter 3 40 Chapter 4 59 Chapter 5 82 Chapter 6 118 Chapter 7 122 Appendix References 3 Chapter 1 A. INTRODUCTION. Vitamin B-12 otherwise known as cyanocobalamin is a compound with synthetic elegance. Considering how it is composed of an aromatic macrocyclic corrin there are key features of this molecule that are observed either in its synthesis of in the biochemical reactions it plays a role in whether they be isomerization reactions or transfer reactions. In this paper the focus for the discussion will be on the history, chemical significance and total synthesis of vitamin B12. Even more so the paper will be concentrated one of the two variants of the vitamin B-12 synthesis, namely the ETH Zurich variant spearheaded by Albert Eschenmoser.Examining the structure as a whole it is observed that a large portion of the vitamin B12 is a corrin structure with a cobalt ion in the center of the macrocyclic part, and that same cobalt ion has cyanide ligands.
    [Show full text]
  • Unesco High Panel on Science for Development
    UNESCO HIGH PANEL ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT ** Attendees 15-16 September 2011 **Dr Atta-ur-Rahman President, Network of Academies of Science of Islamic Countries Distinguished National Professor of Chemistry, Karachi University Karachi, Pakistan **Dr Susan Avery President and Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole, MA, USA **Dr Vijay Chandru Chief Executive Officer, Strand Life Sciences Bangalore, India Sir Partha Dasgupta Frank Ramsey Professor of Economics, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan of Jordan President of the Royal Scientific Society Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan **HRH exceptionally to be replaced by Prof. Odeh Al-Jayyousi Vice-President of the Royal Scientific Society Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Dr Rolf Heuer Director-General, CERN Geneva, Switzerland **Dr Sergei Kapitza Vice President, Academy of Natural Sciences, Russia Professor, Institute of Physics Moscow, Russia Dr Gong Ke President, Nankai University Tianjin, China **Prof. Dr Javier de Lucas Director, Cité internationale universitaire de Paris Paris, France **Prof. Dr Wolfram Mauser Dean of the Faculty of Geosciences Munich Ludwig Maximilian University 1 Munich, Germany **Prof. Gordon McBean Department of Geography, Social Science Centre The University of Western Ontario London, ON, Canada **Prof. Ahmadou Lamine N’Diaye President, African Academy of Sciences & President, National Academy of Science and Technology of Senegal Dakar, Senegal Prof. Tebello Nyokong Department of Chemistry Rhodes University
    [Show full text]
  • ADA YONATH October, 2000
    ADA YONATH - CURRICULUM VITAE May 21 Education 1959-1962 B.Sc. Chemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 1962-1964 M.Sc. Biochemistry, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel 1964-1968 Ph.D. X-ray crystallography, Weizmann Institute (WIS), Israel 1969 Post Doctoral Fellow, Mellon Inst. Pittsburgh, Pa., USA 1970 Post Doctoral Fellow, Dept. of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA Professional Experience 1989- Director, the Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Assemblies, WIS 1988- Kimmel Professor, Dept. of Structural Biology, WIS 1988-2004 Director, the Mazer Center for Structural Biology, WIS 1986-2004 Head, Max-Planck Research Unit, Hamburg, Germany 1989-1994 Chairperson, Dept. of Structural Chemistry & structural Biology, WIS 1984-1988 Associate Prof., Dept. of Structural Chemistry, WIS 1974-1983 Senior Scientist, Dept. of Structural Chemistry, WIS 1979-1983 Visiting Prof., Max-Planck Inst. for Mol. Genetics, Berlin, Germany 1978 summer Visiting Prof., Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile 1977-1978 Visiting Scientist, Biophysics, University of Chicago, IL, USA 1974 Visiting Scientist, Dental School, University of Alabama, USA 1971-1977 Consultant: The Open University, Israel 1971-1978 Lecturer, Tel-Aviv & Ben Gurion Uni, Israel 1970-1974 Scientist, Dept. of Chemistry, WIS Member of the USA National Academy of Sciences Member of the Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities Member of the Royal Society, London Member of the Leopoldina, German Academy for Sciences Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Member
    [Show full text]
  • AHMED H. ZEWAIL 26 February 1946 . 2 August 2016
    AHMED H. ZEWAIL 26 february 1946 . 2 august 2016 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY VOL. 162, NO. 2, JUNE 2018 biographical memoirs t is often proclaimed that a stylist is someone who does and says things in memorable ways. From an analysis of his experimental Iprowess, his written contributions, his lectures, and even from the details of the illustrations he used in his published papers or during his lectures to scientific and other audiences, Ahmed Zewail, by this or any other definition, was a stylist par excellence. For more than a quarter of a century, I interacted with Ahmed (and members of his family) very regularly. Sometimes he and I spoke several times a week during long-distance calls. Despite our totally different backgrounds we became the strongest of friends, and we got on with one another like the proverbial house on fire. We collaborated scientifi- cally and we adjudicated one another’s work, as well as that of others. We frequently exchanged culturally interesting stories. We each relished the challenge of delivering popular lectures. In common with very many others, I deem him to be unforgettable, for a variety of different reasons. He was one of the intellectually ablest persons that I have ever met. He possessed elemental energy. He executed a succession of brilliant experiments. And, almost single-handedly, he created the subject of femtochemistry, with all its magnificent manifestations and ramifications. From the time we first began to exchange ideas, I felt a growing affinity for his personality and attitude. This was reinforced when I told him that, ever since I was a teenager, I had developed a deep interest in Egyptology and a love for modern Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • 3.1.4 Droplet-Based Microfluidics
    Rodriguez Garcia, Marc (2016) Engineering the transition from non-living to living matter. PhD thesis. https://theses.gla.ac.uk/7605/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Engineering the transition from non-living to living matter Marc Rodríguez Garcia A thesis submitted to the University of Glasgow for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy School of Chemistry College of Science and Engineering August 2016 A tota la meva família, per haver-me ajudat a arribar fins aquí. Però sobretot als meus pares, per estar tant a prop malgrat la distància. I en especial a la Nuria, per ser el motiu que em fa tirar endavant. “The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” -Neil deGrasse Tyson Acknowledgements 1 Acknowledgements This project was carried out between September 2012 and June 2016 in the group of Prof Leroy Cronin in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. I have received much help and support from many colleagues and friends.
    [Show full text]
  • The 2018 Chemistry Prize
    Nobel Prize Lessons Teacher’s manuscript – the 2018 Chemistry Prize The Nobel Prize in Chemistry • The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is one of the five prizes founded by Alfred Nobel and awarded on December 10 every year. • Before Nobel died on December 10, 1896, he wrote in his will that the largest part of his fortune should be used to fund a prize to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.” One of the five prizes should go to “the person who made the most important chemical discovery or improvement”. Who is rewarded with the Chemistry Prize? • The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is thus awarded to people who have made discoveries or improvements that have given us knowledge about the structure of various substances and how they are created and changed – how and why they react with each other, and even how we can create new molecules. • This is Ada Yonath, who was awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her pioneering contributions to studies of the ribosome. • Other Chemistry Prizes have been awarded to: • Marie Curie, for the discovery of radioactive elements, and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, for the discovery of the structure of penicillin. The 2018 Chemistry Prize • Two of this year’s Laureates in Chemistry have developed methods for producing new enzymes and antibodies in the lab. These enzymes can be used to speed up chemical reactions, and the antibodies can be used to produce pharmaceuticals. The Laureates’ methods are based on randomly creating numerous variants of a protein, testing how the different variants work and then selecting the protein that works best – a process known as “directed evolution”.
    [Show full text]
  • Searching for Nucleic Acid Alternatives
    MODIFIED OLIGONUCLEOTIDES 836 CHIMIA 2005, 59, No. 11 Chimia 59 (2005) 836–850 © Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft ISSN 0009–4293 Searching for Nucleic Acid Alternatives Albert Eschenmoser* Abstract: “Back of the envelope” methods have their place in experimental chemical research; they are effective mediators in the generation of research ideas, for instance, the design of molecular structures. Their qualitative character is part of their strength, rather than a drawback for the role they have to play. Qualitative conformational analysis of oligonucleotide and other oligomer systems on the level of idealized conformations is one such method; it has played a helpful role in our work on the chemical etiology of nucleic acid structure. This article, while giving a short overview of that work, shows how. Keywords: Conformational analysis of oligonucleotides · Nucleic acid analogs · Oligonucleodipeptides · p-RNA · TNA · Watson-Crick base-pairing Chemists understand by comparing, not ‘ab structural or transformational complexity, we know today as the molecular basis of initio’. To perceive and to create opportuni- serve the purpose of creating opportunities genetic function. The specific property to ties for drawing conclusions on the basis of to compare the behavior of complex sys- be compared in this work is a given nucleic comparisons is the organic chemist’s way tems with that of simpler ones. Enzymic re- acid alternative’s capacity for informational of interpreting and exploring the world at actions and enzyme models are examples.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientometric Portrait of Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal) Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln 7-1-2020 Scientometric Portrait of Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Manoj Kumar Sa Indian Maritime University, Kolkata Campus, [email protected] Nirmalendu Panda KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Sa, Manoj Kumar and Panda, Nirmalendu, "Scientometric Portrait of Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan" (2020). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 4150. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4150 Scientometric Portrait of Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan Nirmalendu Panda Assistant Librarian KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha – 751024 (INDIA) Email: [email protected] Manoj Kumar Sa Library Assistant Indian Maritime University, Kolkata Campus, West Bengal-700088 (INDIA) Email: [email protected] Abstract: The study presents an analysis of 165 research papers by Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan published during 1977 to 2019 in the diverse field of science such as Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Medicine, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Immunology and Microbiology, Physics and Astronomy, Engineering and Materials Science. The highest number of publications contributed during the 2nd and 4th decade with 49 (29.70%) papers each. His paper entitles “Structure of the 30s ribosomal subunit” got maximum 1560 citations. Kelley, A. C. Was the most collaborative author and Europe was the most dominant continent collaborating with 132 papers whereas the United States was the top collaborated country with 100 (60.61%) papers. In the context of authorship pattern Triple authored papers were dominated with 34 (20.61%) papers.
    [Show full text]
  • Ian Rae: “Two Croatian Chemists Who Were Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry”
    Croatian Studies Review 13 (2017) Ian Rae: “Two Croatian Chemists who were Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry” Ian Rae School of Chemistry University of Melbourne [email protected] Abstract Two organic chemists of Croatian origin, Leopold Ružička and Vladimir Prelog, made significant contributions to natural product chemistry during the twentieth century. They received their university education and research training in Germany and Czechoslovakia, respectively. Both made their careers in Zürich, Switzerland, and both shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in 1939 and 1975, respectively. In this article, I have set the details of their lives and achievements against the education and research climates in Europe and other regions, especially as they apply to the field of chemistry. Key words: Croatia, organic, chemistry, Nobel, Ružička, Prelog 31 Croatian Studies Review 13 (2017) Introduction1 In the twentieth century two organic chemists of Croatian origin were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They were Lavoslav (Leopold) Ružička (1887-1976) and Vladimir Prelog (1906-1998), whose awards came in 1939 and 1975, respectively. Both were living and working in Switzerland at the time of the awards and it was in that country – specifically in the city of Zürich – that they performed the research that made them Nobel Laureates. To understand the careers of Ružička and Prelog, and of many other twentieth century organic chemists, we need to look back to the nineteenth century when German chemists were the leaders in this field of science. Two developments characterise this German hegemony: the introduction of the research degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and the close collaboration between organic chemists in industry and university.
    [Show full text]
  • Brief Newsletter from World Scientific October 2017
    Brief Newsletter from World Scientific October 2017 World Scientific Publishing Proudly Presents Publication Paying Tribute to 1999 Nobel Laureate Ahmed Zewail Personal and Scientific Reminiscences Tributes to Ahmed Zewail Edited by: Majed Chergui (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), Rudolph A Marcus (Caltech), John Meurig Thomas (Cambridge), Dongping Zhong (The Ohio State University, USA) This volume is a compilation of wonderful tributes to the late Ahmed Zewail (1946- 2016), who is widely considered the 'Father of Femtochemistry'. Largely composed of testimonies by friends and relatives of Zewail and outstanding scientists from around the world who have worked with or were affiliated with the Nobel laureate, this book further embellishes his reputation as an icon in the field of physical chemistry and the father of ultra fast electron-based methods. Individual contributions describe the author's own unique experience and personal relationship with Zewail and includes details of his scientific achievements and the stories surrounding them. Personal and Scientific Reminiscences collects accounts from some of the most important figures in the physical and chemical sciences to give us unique insight into the world and work of one of the greatest scientists of our time. A book not to be missed by students, practitioners and researchers working with chemistry, physical chemistry and physics as well as readers with an interest in the history of science. http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/Q0128 Significant
    [Show full text]
  • <I>Vlado</I> As <I>Cheiron</I>
    IN MEMORIAM VLADIMIR PRELOG (1906-1998) 138 CHIMIA 1999,53, NO.4 Chimia 53 (1999)138-139 © Neue Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft ISSN 0009-4293 Vlado as Cheiron Kurt Mislow* Over a period of several decades, Vlado ucts. His involvement in stereochemistry bonded interactions. Prelog's pioneering Prelog's laboratory was a mecca for aca- was a direct outgrowth of this passion. It concept, therefore, represented a break- demic guests from abroad, many of them began with his studies of Cinchona alka- through of major proportions. from the United States, and it is my priv- loids during his years in Prague, in the late It seems appropriate here to quote an- ilege to represent them today on the occa- 20s and early 30s, and continued in Zagreb other stanza from Christopher's poem: sion of this commemoration. I intend to with the first of his many scientific tri- share some personal reminiscences of the umphs, the synthesis of adamantane, in Combining his sense of the practic time that I spent with my mentor at the 1941. In 1944, just a few years after his With his vision of scale galactic, ETH, over 40 years ago. In order to place arrival at the ETH, Prelog had already He made Prelog's Rule my remarks in their proper perspective, published papers that specifically ad- An imperative tool however, it will first be necessary to out- dressed questions dealing with stereochem- By concocting a brew atrolactic. line Prelog's vital contributions to the ical aspects of natural products. To give development of modern stereochemistry.
    [Show full text]
  • Robert Burns Woodward
    The Life and Achievements of Robert Burns Woodward Long Literature Seminar July 13, 2009 Erika A. Crane “The structure known, but not yet accessible by synthesis, is to the chemist what the unclimbed mountain, the uncharted sea, the untilled field, the unreached planet, are to other men. The achievement of the objective in itself cannot but thrill all chemists, who even before they know the details of the journey can apprehend from their own experience the joys and elations, the disappointments and false hopes, the obstacles overcome, the frustrations subdued, which they experienced who traversed a road to the goal. The unique challenge which chemical synthesis provides for the creative imagination and the skilled hand ensures that it will endure as long as men write books, paint pictures, and fashion things which are beautiful, or practical, or both.” “Art and Science in the Synthesis of Organic Compounds: Retrospect and Prospect,” in Pointers and Pathways in Research (Bombay:CIBA of India, 1963). Robert Burns Woodward • Graduated from MIT with his Ph.D. in chemistry at the age of 20 Woodward taught by example and captivated • A tenured professor at Harvard by the age of 29 the young... “Woodward largely taught principles and values. He showed us by • Published 196 papers before his death at age example and precept that if anything is worth 62 doing, it should be done intelligently, intensely • Received 24 honorary degrees and passionately.” • Received 26 medals & awards including the -Daniel Kemp National Medal of Science in 1964, the Nobel Prize in 1965, and he was one of the first recipients of the Arthur C.
    [Show full text]