Prizes are Good but Discoveries are Better

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-3-86225-136-0
Verlag: Gnt- Verlag

Buch, Englisch, Band 13, 348 Seiten, Schuber, Format (B × H): 176 mm x 253 mm, Gewicht: 1182 g

Reihe: Lives in Chemistry – Lebenswerke in der Chemie

ALBERT ESCHENMOSER (1925--2023), the brilliant Swiss chemist quietly composed an autobiography describing his six professional decades just “for the sake of its existence.”

Already as a PhD student at ETH Zurich, he discerned patterns in the biogenesis of terpenes. His passion for synthesis of very complex molecules culminated in the world famous “competitive collaboration“ with R.B. Woodward’s group resulting in two total syntheses of Vitamin B12.

Albert Eschenmoser asked questions like “How did life on Earth arise? Why did Nature choose the biomolecules we know?” Clearly his vision went beyond synthesis – he pondered about fundamental issues following his conviction: “Life: perfectly commonplace and an everlasting miracle at the same time. Its emergence about four billion years ago … is the most significant chemical property of matter”.

This reflects Eschenmoser’s unique stature among 20th century scientists.

l-i-c.org/1136

Zielgruppe

Students of chemistry, physics, biology and pharmacy, historians of science, graduate students, young researchers. Anyone interested in chemistry who wants to gain insights into successful research and motivation for their own career.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Eschenmoser, Albert

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

1  From Primary School to ETH (1932?–?1951)

1.1  Undergraduate studies
1.2  Military service
1.3  Student life
1.4  Diploma thesis and diploma
1.5  Zingiberene structure
1.6  Farnesene Rule
1.7  Jakob Schreiber, my first student
1.8  Hans Schinz, my doctoral thesis supervisor

2  From Postdoc to Privatdozent at ETH (1951?–?1960)

2.1  Founding the Eschenmoser group
2.2  Steroid syntheses
2.3  Base-induced fragmentation of C,C bonds
2.4  Biogenetic Isoprene Rule
2.5  Stereochemistry of acid-catalyzed polyene cyclizations
2.6  Stereochemical interpretation of the Biogenetic Isoprene Rule in triterpenes
2.7  First trip to the USA (1954)
2.8  Edgar Heilbronner and the benzotropylium cation
2.9  Determination of the relative configuration of secondary alicyclic alcohols
2.10  Total synthesis of colchicineDesacetylamino-colchicine
2.11  Laboratory of Organic Chemistry: from Ruzicka to Prelog

3  Professor at ETH?—?Reaction Mechanisms and Syntheses (1960?–?1992)

3.1  Courses and lectures at home and abroad
3.2  Visiting professor at MIT (1961)
3.3  Visiting professor at University of Wisconsin (1965)
3.4  Turbulent times at ETH
3.5  The corrin saga and the synthesis of vitamin B12 (1960?–?1972)
3.6  Post-B12 psychological and publication issues (1973?–?1992)
3.7  Research topics also running I (1960?–?1972)

4  Professor at ETH?—?Etiologies and Prebiotics (1973?–?2008)

4.1  Chemical etiology of the vitamin B12 structure (1973?–?1988)
4.2  Research topics also running II (1973?–?1988)
4.3  Prebiotics (1976?–?2008)
4.4  Etiology of the structural type of natural nucleic acids (1987?–?2008)

5  Emeritus

5.1  University of Frankfurt (1993?–?1996)
5.2  The Scripps Research Institute (1996?–?2009)

6  Other Activities and Honors

6.1  Consulting
6.2  Lecture tours and symposia
6.3  Visiting professorships
6.4  Membership in academies
6.5  Awards

Concluding Remarks

• How this autobiography came about: the backstory
• Post?—?La Jolla activities
• Acknowledgements

Appendix

• Biographical notes
• Vita
• Chemistree
• Holographs
• References
• Table of contents
• Links and literature
• Image sources
• Index

Über Autor(innen)

Eschenmoser, Albert
1955–1960 Pioneering research on vitamin B12 synthesis
1960 Promoted to associate professor; became full professor in 1965
1972 Completed total synthesis of vitamin B12
1980s–1990s Research on the chemical origins of nucleic acids; developed artificial genetic polymers such as TNA
1986 Awarded the Wolf Prize in Chemistry for work on natural product synthesis and reaction mechanisms
1992 Retired from ETH Zurich; continued research as professor at Scripps Research Institute 1996–2009