John C. Sheehan

John Clark Sheehan (* September 23, 1915, † March 21, 1992 ) was an American chemist and professor of organic chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Life and work

Sheehan's scientific work mainly deals with the synthesis of penicillin, in addition to the synthesis of peptides, other antibiotics, alkaloids and steroids. His work at MIT led to the first total synthesis of the drug. He also synthesized intermediate compounds such as the 6-aminopenicillanic acid which has been the basis for several types of synthetic penicillins. Within 40 years, Sheehan patented more than 30 compounds, including ampicillin, a semisynthetic penicillin for oral use. Among the members of his working group included, among others, the Nobel laureate EJ Corey.

The American Chemical Society (ACS ) awarded Sheehan 1951 ACS Award in Pure Chemistry her and 1959 with their ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from.