Otto Diels and Kurt Alder

The Diels-Alder Reaction (named after Otto Diels and Kurt Alder for which they won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1950) is a very important carbon-carbon bond forming reaction. It enables chemists to make six membered rings in one step with very high stereo control. This is significant because the six membered ring is so prevalent in natural products, after which we model so many of the useful compounds we synthesize.

For a biography of Otto Diels go to.....
http://www.nobel.se/laureates/chemistry-1950-1-bio.html

For a biography of Kurt Alder go to....
http://www.nobel.se/laureates/chemistry-1950-2-bio.html

Another interesting thing you might want to note....

Bryn Mawr Chemistry

From "The History of Organic Chemistry in the United States, 1875-1955" by Dean Stanley Tarbell and Tracy Tarbell

"The most important centers in America for women in organic chemistry were Chicago, open to women since its inception in 1892, and Bryn Mawr College.......

Bryn Mawr opening for women and offering graduate degrees in 1885, was modeled on Johns Hopkins by the indomitable M. Carey Thomas, dean and later president, who had once been refused full participation in the Hopkins graduate school. A steady procession of Hopkins chemists from 1885-1924 emphasized this scholarly connection and published with a few students, but E.P. Kohler's* vigorous research in organic chemistry from 1892-1912 produced thirty papters, some of them joint papers with undergraduates, and several doctorates. Among these Margaret MacDonald taught and conducted biochemical research at several colleges, experimental stations and the Johns Hopkins Medical School, while Marie Reimer headed the chemistry department at Barnard College and with her students published original studies in conjugated systems. Encouraging as these beginnings were for women in chemistry their contributions and advancement remained relatively limited."

A little about Kohler.....

"Although he was shy and retiring and never attended chemical meetings or gave public lectures, Kohler had a powerful influence on the development of American organic chemistry through his masterly teaching and research and by the students he trained.

The Kohler reaction (you will learn it a bit later in the course) involved 1,4-addition of a Grignard reagent to a conjugated ketone."

[ B a c k t o H i s t o r y o f C h e m i s t r y ]