Ronald Breslow
Ronald Charles David Breslow ( born March 14, 1931 in Rahway, New Jersey) is an American chemist.
Breslow studied chemistry at Harvard University (Bachelor in 1952, Master 1954), where he received his doctorate in 1955, Robert Burns Woodward. As a post - graduate student, he was in 1955 at the University of Cambridge in Alexander Robertus Todd. From 1956 he was, first as instructor at Columbia University, where he remained for the rest of his career. He is there Samuel Latham Mitchill Professor of Chemistry, has the rank of University Professor and dean of the Department of Chemistry.
He is known for the synthesis of new molecules of unusual, for example, the cyclopropenyl cation, the simplest aromatic system. He also explored the mechanism of action of vitamin B1. Later he worked on the synthesis and function of artificial enzymes or molecules that mimic the action of enzymes, with applications for example in potential new cancer drugs.
His PhD is one of Nobel laureate Robert Grubbs.
Honors
In 1996 he was president of the American Chemical Society, and from 1974 to 1977 he was Director of the Chemistry Department of the National Academy of Sciences. In his honor the American Chemical Society annually awards the Ronald Breslow Award for Achievement in Biomimetic Chemistry.
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the European Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is an honorary member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a foreign member of the Royal Society. He is an honorary member of the Korean and Japanese chemical companies and a member of the Indian National Science Academy.
Writings
- Organic Reaction Mechanisms, an introduction, 2nd edition, Benjamin, 1969 ( first 1965) German translation: Organic reaction mechanisms, Thieme Verlag, 1982 ( Translated by Harald Günther )