Arthur Lapworth

Arthur Lapworth ( born October 10, 1872 in Galashiels, Scottish Borders, Scotland, † April 5, 1941 ) was a British chemist.

Life

After schooling studied the son of the geologist Charles Lapworth at the University of Birmingham and the City and Guilds College, London, where he was a member of Henry Edward Armstrong. In subsequent activities at the School of Pharmacy, University of London and Goldsmiths ' Technical and Recreative Institute in 1903 he laid a foundational work for the synthesis of α - hydroxy ketones from aromatic aldehydes before and thus to benzoin addition.

In 1913 he accepted an appointment as professor of organic chemistry at the University of Manchester.

There he became in 1922 Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Physical Chemistry and was thereby one of the founders of physical organic chemistry, the average area of physical and organic chemistry. Through his work he influenced the teaching and research of Robert Robinson and Christopher Kelk Ingold on the reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry.

He also developed a number of important ideas in the field of acid-base catalysis, and emphasized the role of protons.

Lapworth was finally awarded in 1931 for his outstanding research in the field of organic chemistry with the Davy Medal of the Royal Society, the highest British award for scientists in the field of chemistry.

Source

• Chambers Biographical Dictionary, Edinburgh 2002, ISBN 0-550-10051-2, p 891