Robert Robinson (organic chemist)

For other people of the same name, see Robert Robinson (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Robert Robertson (government chemist).

Sir Robert Robinson OM PRS FRSE
President of the Royal Society
In office 1945–1950
Preceded by	Sir Henry Harrett Dale
Succeeded by	Edgar Adrian
Personal details
Born	(1886-09-13)13 September 1886 Derbyshire, England
Died	Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England
Citizenship	United Kingdom
Nationality	English
Scientific career
Fields	Organic chemistry
Institutions	University of Sydney University of Liverpool British Dyestuffs Corporation University of Manchester University of London University of Oxford
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Doctoral advisor	William Henry Perkin, Jr.
Doctoral students	Arthur John Birch William Sage Rapson John Cornforth Rita Harradence
Known for	Development of Organic synthesis
Notable awards	Davy Medal (1930) Royal Medal (1932) Copley Medal (1942) Nobel Prize for Chemistry (1947) Franklin Medal (1947) Albert Medal (1947)
Spouse	Gertrude Maud Robinson

Sir Robert Robinson OM PRS FRSE (13 September 1886 – 8 February 1975) was an English organic chemist and Nobel laureate recognised in 1947 for his research on plant dyestuffs (anthocyanins) and alkaloids. In 1947, he also received the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm.

Biography

Early life

Born at Rufford Farm, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Robinson went to school at the Chesterfield Grammar School, the private Fulneck School and the University of Manchester. In 1907 he was awarded an 1851 Research Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to continue his research at the University of Manchester. He was appointed as the first Professor of Pure and Applied Organic Chemistry in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney in 1912. He was the Waynflete Professor of Chemistry at Oxford University from 1930 and a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford.

Robinson Close in the Science Area at Oxford is named after him, as is the Robert Robinson Laboratory at the University of Liverpool and the Robinson and Cornforth Laboratories at The University of Sydney.

Robinson was a strong amateur chess player. He represented Oxford University in a friendly match with a team from Bletchley Park in December 1944; he lost his game to pioneering computer scientist I. J. Good. He was president of the British Chess Federation from 1950-53, and with Raymond Edwards he co-authored the book The Art and Science of Chess (Batsford, 1972).

Research

His synthesis of tropinone, a precursor of cocaine, in 1917 was not only a big step in alkaloid chemistry but also showed that tandem reactions in a one-pot synthesis are capable of forming bicyclic molecules.

Tropinone synthesis

He invented the symbol for benzene having a circle in the middle whilst working at St Andrews University in 1923. He is known for inventing the use of the curly arrow to represent electron movement, and he is also known for discovering the molecular structures of morphine and penicillin.

In 1957 Robinson founded the journal Tetrahedron with fifty other editors for Pergamon Press.

Robinson annulation has had application in the total synthesis of steroids.

External links

• Nobel Lecture Some Polycyclic Natural Products from Nobelprize.org website
• Biography Biography from Nobelprize.org website
• ABC Online Forum
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