Freizer Frederick Louis ( born Louis Frederick Fieser , April 7, 1899 - July 25, 1977) - American organic chemist [1] [2] . He made a significant contribution to the synthesis of vitamin K [3] , quinone- based antimalarial drugs [4] [5] [6] .
| Louis Fizer | |
|---|---|
| English Louis Frederick Fieser | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | April 7, 1899 |
| Place of Birth | Columbus , United States |
| Date of death | July 25, 1977 (78 years) |
| Place of death | Belmont , United States |
| A country | |
| Scientific field | Organic chemistry |
| Place of work | Oxford University Harvard University |
| Alma mater | Williams College Frankfurt Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Harvard University |
| supervisor | Conant, James Bryant |
| Famous students | Kram, Donald James |
| Known as | first synthesized vitamin k napalm maker |
Content
Early years
Louis Frederick Fizer was born April 7, 1899 in Columbus , Ohio , in the family of Louis Frederick and Martha Victoria Fizer. Frederick's father was an engineer, grandfather - a famous teacher and editor of the first German-language newspaper in Ohio. Louis studied at the Douglas School and East High School, graduated from Williams College in 1920.
Fester received his doctorate from Harvard in 1924 for his work on the redox properties of quinones [7] . He synthesized a reagent, later named after him, widely used as an oxygen adsorbent in gas analysis.
Fizer spends a year in Frankfurt am Main and Oxford , where he gets a job as an assistant, then - as a senior lecturer. In 1930, Fizer moved to Cambridge , became a professor in 1937, an honorary professor in 1968.
Scientific Research
Fizer has spent five years at Bryn Mawr College , where he has published about twenty articles on quinone chemistry. His synthesis of the quinoid pigment lapachol in 1927 led to close collaboration with Samuel Hooker, a retired industrialist who created a private laboratory in Brooklyn, who had returned to the study of lapachol, the pigment of the South American betabetabar tree, twenty years later. Hooker was a skillful and resourceful experimenter, whose skill Fizer admired. In tribute, Fizer created a series of publications from 11 documents that covered Hooker's later work on papaerol and related substances. These studies were conducted in the period 1915-1935 and were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society in 1936. Early studies of lapachol were published in eleven articles in 1889-1896 and reprinted in a subsequent series in 1936. During the Second World War, Fizer actively used the reaction discovered by Hooker in the fight against malaria ("Hooker oxidation").
From the mid -1930s to the early 1940s, polycyclic aromatic compounds causing cancer, as well as studying the relationship between the structure of a molecule and its carcinogenic activity, became the main directions of Fizer’s research [8] . In the mid-1930s, Louis Fieser published his Natural Products Related to Phenanthrene [9] , the timely publication of which contributed to the success in studying the chemistry of steroids . In addition, Fizer takes an active part in the study of resin acids and the use of absorption spectroscopy in the ultraviolet region before it has become widespread.
Fisher made a significant contribution to the synthesis of vitamin K in the late 1930s [3] . Instead of using low-performance purification methods at that time, he proposed his own original method, based on the high solubility of one of the derivatives of the target compound. In addition, several key stages of the synthesis were also proposed personally by Fizer.
With the beginning of the Second World War, Fizer began to actively engage in military projects. A short-term study of fatty-aromatic polynitrocompounds as explosives was followed by studies of alkaline salts of long-chain fatty acids as detonators, but his most important work related to military topics is the creation of quinoid antimalarial drugs. About 30 of his articles, published in 1948-1950 [4] [5] [6], are devoted to this topic.
The number of compounds theoretically with antimalarial activity included naphthoquinone hydrolapachol and two less active quinones. In collaboration with scientists from Harvard and other countries, Fisser was able to establish a link between the structure and antimalarial activity of these compounds. The synthesis of more than 300 compounds studied was accompanied by a study of the mechanism of action and their metabolism in living organisms. Work was frozen after the end of World War II, and resumed with the outbreak of the Vietnam War.
After E. Kendall demonstrated the effectiveness of cortisone in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (1949), the search for glucocorticoid hormones suitable for clinical trials accelerated significantly. Pharmaceutical companies around the world have been conducting extensive research in this area. Fizer made a significant contribution to this rapidly developing field, both as an independent researcher and as a consultant for industrial enterprises. During this period, Feather developed a close professional and personal relationship with Max Tischler from Merck & Co.
Fizer was a skilled experimenter, able to find both practical and elegant solution of the problem. At least 40 of his 340 publications were based on his own experiments. His approach to research — intuitive and imaginative — has proven to be very successful. According to wife Mary Fizer:
“Chemistry for him is rather a kind of competition than hard work. I think teaching others is really his favorite thing. ”
Original Text (Eng.)He approached chemistry as a kind of sport, not just hard work. I think he really enjoyed the teaching.
In the last years of his life, Fester focused on the teaching of chemistry, the philosophy of scientific research and health issues, in particular the dangers of smoking.
Teaching activity
For many years, Fisser taught organic chemistry at Harvard. He took part in the creation of the popular science film Techniques of Organic Chemistry and tetrahedral carbon models. The Chemistry in Three Dimensions booklet [10] provided instructions for their use.
The Martius Yellow laboratory contests were attended by students, as well as their venerable colleagues, including Fizer. The aim of the competition was the synthesis of yellow dye in its six modifications of 5 grams of 1-naphthol. Estimated product purity and synthesis rate. Fizer always finished first, but always had reasons for his disqualification. The good-natured atmosphere of the competition helped to attract interest in the subject and the warm relationship between Fizer and his students. An orange sweater with a portrait of Fizera was popular at Harvard, many students proudly attended classes.
No less successful was the experience of Fizer and in the training of graduate students. By his own example, he inspired everyone who worked with him in the laboratory. In the post-war years, his group became international, Fizer began to show interest in both professional and personal life of employees. Ten of his students were elected to the National Academy of Sciences , one became a Nobel laureate .
Personal life
In Bryn-Mor Fisher met Mary Peters, who after graduating from Bryn Mawr College entered Radcliffe College , where she studied under him. In 1932, they were married, thus initiating remarkable scientific and literary collaboration. Mary became for Louis a constant companion, a friend, an indispensable employee. In collaboration with Louis and Mary published 35 articles, 8 books.
Louis Fizer died in Belmont , Massachusetts , on July 25, 1977.
Major Works
In collaboration with his wife, Fizer published eight books, five of which were published in three or more editions. Among them, in addition to the previously mentioned Natural Products Related to Phenanthrene (four editions, including Steroids [11] ), a laboratory manual and the first book Experiments in Organic Chemistry [12] (three editions), followed by Organic Experiments (three editions, the third - together with K. L. Williamson [13] ), several well-known textbooks and other publications:
- Organic Chemistry [14]
- Textbook of Organic Chemistry [15]
- Advanced Organic Chemistry [16]
- Basic Organic Chemistry [17]
- Organic and biological chemistry [18]
Fizer is also widely known as the author of the Style Guide for Chemists , also co-authored with his wife, in which he presents his ability to present his thoughts on paper in a clear, concise and engaging way. His achievements, in particular, were noted by Robert Scheinfield in The Chemist’s English :
“Let me pay tribute to the great benefactors of the English language for chemists. These are the scientists (the first comes to mind is the name of Louis Fizer, although he has worthy colleagues from Australia), who with his fascinating prose made others imitate themselves. ”
Original Text (Eng.)Let me now begin with a respectful salute to the great benefactors to Chemist's English. It has been the time that it has been possible to emulate them.
Titles and awards
- Member of the National Academy of Sciences (1940)
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Member of the American Philosophical Society (1941)
- Honorary Dr. Williams College (1939)
- Honorary Doctor of the University of Paris (1953)
- Winner of the Katherine Berkhamjudd Prize for cancer research (1941)
- Winner of the James Flack Norris Award for Teaching Chemistry (1959)
- Winner of the Association of Educational Chemists (1959)
- Nichols Medal of the American Chemical Society (1963)
Links
Notes
- Ates Gates M., Biographical memoir for Louis Frederick Fieser // Biogr Mem Natl Acad Sci, 1994, v. 65, pp. 161-75.
- ↑ Lenoir D., Tidwell TT. Louis Fieser: An Organic Chemist in Peace and War // Eur. J. Org. Chem., 2009, v. 4, pp. 481–491.
- ↑ 1 2 Fieser LF Synthesis of Vitamin K1 // J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1939, v. 61, pp. 3467-3475.
- ↑ 1 2 Fieser LF, Berliner E., Bondhus FJ, Chang FC, Dauben WG, Ettlinger MG, Zaugg, HE Naphthoquinone Antimalarials. I. General Survey 1, 2 // J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1939, v. 70, pp. 3151-3155.
- ↑ 1 2 Fieser LF, Richardson AP Naphthoquinone Antimalarials. Ii. Correlation of Structure and Activity Against P. lophurae in Ducks1 // J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1948, v. 70, pp. 3156-3165.
- ↑ 1 2 Fieser LF Naphthoquinone Antimalarials. Iii. Diene Synthesis of 1, 4-Naphthoquinones // J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1949, v. 70, pp. 3165-3174.
- ↑ Conant, JB Fieser LF Reduction potentials of quinones. Ii. The potentials of certain derivatives of benzoquinone, naphthoquinone and anthraquinone // J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1924, v. 46, pp. 1858-1881.
- ↑ Fieser LF Carcinogenic activity, structure, and chemical reactivity of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons // Am. J. Cancer, 1938, v. 34, pp. 37-124.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Natural Products Related To Phenanthrene, 1949, 3rd.
- ↑ Fieser LF Chemistry in three dimensions, 1963.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Steroids, New York: Reinhold publ. corp., 1959, 114.
- ↑ Fieser LF Experiments in organic chemistry, 1935.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Williamson KL Organic experiments, DC Heath, 1979.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Organic Chemistry. Boston, Health, 1944.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Textbook of Organic Chemistry. New York, Reinhold publ. corp., 1946.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Advanced Organic Chemistry. New York, Reinhold publ. corp .; London, Chapman $ Hall, 1961.
- ↑ Fieser LF, Fieser M. Basic Organic Chemistry. Boston, Health, 1959.
- ↑ Fieser LF Organic and biologacal chemistry. A ser. of monographs. New York, 1948.