Henry Gilman

Henry Gilman ( born May 19, 1893 in Boston; † 7 November 1986) was an American chemist, was the focus of research in the field of organometallic chemistry.

Life and work

Gilman earned his bachelor's and his Ph.D. at Harvard University. From 1919 to 1962 he was professor of chemistry at Iowa State University.

Gilman published over 1,000 research publications, including more than half after 1947, when he became blind because of glaucoma and sloughing retina. His wife Ruth sighted supported him over a period of forty years in his work.

Gilman reagent

Henry Gilman is now known for the eponymous reagent R2CuLi:

Diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran (THF ) as an additive during the formation of the reagent.

With THF as additive R2CuLi is capable of halogens (Cl, Br, I) to replace, in organic compounds with R - only fluorine atoms can not therefore be replaced by R.

Gilman reagents were the first organometallic compounds, used in the coupling reactions. In English, they are also known as Organocuprates.