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1979 Nobel Prize Laureate

1979 Nobel Prize Laureate. Outline. HERBERT C. BROWN. Family Background and Early Childhood. Also known as Herbert Charles Brovarnik born on May 22, 1912 in London 2 nd child of Charles Brovarnik and Pearl Gorenstein has 3 sisters (Ann, Sophie and Riva)

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1979 Nobel Prize Laureate

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  1. 1979 Nobel Prize Laureate

  2. Outline

  3. HERBERT C. BROWN

  4. Family Background and Early Childhood • Also known as Herbert Charles Brovarnik • born on May 22, 1912 in London • 2nd child of Charles Brovarnik and Pearl Gorenstein • has 3 sisters (Ann, Sophie and Riva) • his family moved to Chicago in 1914 • His father is a trained cabinet maker but turned to carpentry (little market of skills in the US) • US depression in 1920 persuaded his father to go to business (opened small hardware store)

  5. Education

  6. Education • Attended Haven School at Wabash Chicago and graduated at 12 with excellent standing • Offered with further advancement but refused to accept it (did not want to be in the same class with his sister Ann) • Went to Englewood High School for secondary educationand graduated in 1930 • He ran the humor column of the school paper and won a national prize(*) • Entered at Crane Junior College (BS Electrical Engineering) • Got fascinated with Chemistry • After one semester, Crane Junior College got closed (lack of funds) • Attend night classes at Lewis Institute taking one or two courses (self supporting, worked as part time shoe clerk, packer of notebook paper and belts) • Invited by Dr. Nicholas Cheronis to do experimental work at “Synthetical Laboratories”

  7. Education • In 1934, attended Wright Junior College and graduated in 1935 together with Sarah • Sarah autograhed his yearbook ,“To the future Nobel Laureate….” Took competitive examination for scholarship at University of Chicago • Entered University of Chicago in 1935 • HCB took ten courses; regular is three (stipend is 100/sem) • Finished junior and senior years within three quarters • Received the BS degree in 1936 and a book entitled “The Hydrides of Boron and Silicon (Alfred Stock)” • Convinced by Julius Steiglitz to pursue graduate education • Worked on reactions of carbonyl compounds with diborane (B2H6) • Received PhD degree in 1938

  8. Romantic L ve Story • Met and love Sarah Baylen --- the brightest student in chemistry at Crane prior to HCB,s arrival. • Sarah initially “hated the guts” of HCB since she could not beat him • Became lovers • Marriage could no longer wait! • Got married ”secretly” in February 6, 1937 • Had to support Sarah HOW? • graduate assistant stipend/year was $400; $300 goes to tuition • Sarah got a position at Billings Hospital in Medical Chemistry • Gifted with a son, Charles Brown (Chemist with Hitachi ) • Marriage lasted for more than 67 years

  9. Post Graduate Studies & Researches Drive: He could NOT find any industrial position • UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO • Prof. M.S. Kharasch offered a postdoctorate scholarship (1938) • Work on possible chlorosulfonation of hydrocarbons with sulfuryl chloride (preparation of detergents) • Published 10 papers

  10. Invited by Prof. Schlesinger to become research assistant • wartime research project (World War II) • Synthesize Uranium borohydride using diborane • Problem: diborane preparation is very slow and expensive!!! • Synthesize diborane from NaBH4 and boron trihalide • Synthesis of sodium borohydride (NaBH4), important reducing agent (*)

  11. Post Graduate Studies & Researches WAYNE UNIVERSITY (WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY) Given by Neil Gordon assistant professorship position at (1946) • Studied on steric effects • The non-classical ion problem • A quantitative theory of aromatic substitution and basic properties of aromatic compounds • PURDUE UNIVERSITY • Invited by Henry B. Hass (1947) • Inorganic Professor (1947) • Wetherill Distinguished Professor (1959) • Emeritus (1978)

  12. Contribution Worth a Nobel Prize Organoboranes - are organic derivatives of borane (BH3) - produced through hydroboration

  13. Uses of Organoboranes • Uses of the ORGANOBORANES in organic synthesis seem almost LIMITLESS!!!!

  14. The 1979 NOBEL PRIZE • Herbert Charles Brown Received the 1979 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared the prize with George Wittig (Wittig Reaction)

  15. Awards • Priestley Medal 1981 • AIC Gold Medal 1985 •  NAS Award in Chemical Sciences 1987 • Order of the Rising Sun 1987, with Gold and Silver Star •  ACS Ralph and Helen Oesper Award 1990 •  ACS Herbert C. Brown Award 1998 • William H. Nichols Medal 195 • ACS Award for Creative Research 1960 • ACS Linus Pauling Medal 1968 • National Medal of Science1969 • ACS Roger Adams Medal 1971 •  ACS Charles Frederick Chandler Medal 1973 • ACS Madison Marshall Award 1975 • Elliott Cresson Gold Medal of the Franklin Institute 1978 • Sir William H. Perkin Medal 1982

  16. Books and Publications • HCB has published more than a thousand scientific papers • Hydroboration (1962, chemistry) • Boranes in Organic Chemistry (1972, chemistry) • Organic Syntheses via Boranes (1975, chemistry) • The Nonclassical Ion Problem (1976, chemistry) • Aspects of Mechanism and Organometallic • Chemistry (1978, chemistry; with James H. Brewster) • Hydroboration (1979, chemistry) • Herbert C. Brown: A Life in Chemistry (1980, collected papers) • Borane Reagents (1988, chemistry; with Andrew Pelter and Keith Smith)

  17. H.C. Brown as a Mentor and as a Person … A GOOD COUNSELOR NOT A “SLAVE DRIVER” ----- TIME IS YOUR OWN 3.CARING and LOVING 4. GENEROUS 5. HAPPY HCB and Sarah demonstrated that with raw capability, dedication and eternal optimism, a man and a woman together can make remarkable achievements, become happier with time and beyond, and become rich enough to return part of their wealth to the community.

  18. Late Life and Death • Retired in 1978 as R.B. Wetherill Professor Emeritus • Two buildings named after him • Brown Building • Herbert C. Brown Laboratories of Chemistry • At 92, died on December 19, 2004 from heart attack

  19. It is evident that Professor Herbert C. Brown has discovered a new continent in chemistry. However, he said “We have been moving rapidly over that continent, scouting out the major mountain ranges, river valleys, lakes, and coasts. But it is evident that we have only scratched the surface. It will require another generation of chemists to settle that continent and to utilize it for the good of mankind.” ----- Herbert C. Brown

  20. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!!

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