威廉·斯坦迪什·诺尔斯1917—2012

生平

诺尔斯早年就读于马萨诸塞伯克希尔的一所寄宿学校，他是班里学习上的领头羊。高中毕业后他通过了学校董事会的考试进入哈佛大学。他觉得自己上大学还太年轻，于是在安多弗读了一年的预科学校。这一年年末，他获得了$50的博伊尔斯顿奖，这是他获得的首个化学奖。

诺尔斯在哈佛读的是有机化学。1939年他取得学士学位，并进入哥伦比亚大学念硕士。他在哥大师从鲍伯·埃德菲尔德（Bob Elderfield）研究类固醇，1942年取得博士学位。

1942年毕业后，他加入了孟山都公司，1986年退休。1944年，他在圣路易斯，先是研发一些中间产品，后来从事氯霉素和DDT相关的工作。他受到罗伯特·伯恩斯·伍德沃德的鼓励，推动可的松的商品化。由于有类固醇化学的背景，他成为伍德沃德的助手。有九个月时间，诺尔斯与伍德沃德一起呆在剑桥。1960年代，他开始从事不对称合成的研究。

William Standish Knowles (June 1, 1917 – June 13, 2012) was an American chemist. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts. Knowles was one of the recipients of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He split half the prize with Ryōji Noyori for their work in asymmetric synthesis, specifically for his work in hydrogenation reactions. The other half was awarded to K. Barry Sharpless for his work in oxidation reactions.

Education

Knowles attended Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts. He led his class academically and upon graduation was admitted to Harvard University. Feeling that he was too young to go to college, Knowles spent a year at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. At the end of the year, he captured his first award in chemistry, the school's $50 Boylston Prize.

After his year in preparatory school, Knowles attended Harvard, where he majored in chemistry, focusing on organic chemistry. He received his undergraduate degree in 1939, and attended Columbia University for graduate school.

Awards and honors

1983 Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemists

2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

2008 Peter H. Raven Lifetime Achievement Award, from the Academy of Science, St. Louis.

Nobel Prize

He shared half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001 with Ryōji Noyori for "their work on chirally catalysed hydrogenation reactions". The other half of the prize was awarded to K. Barry Sharpless for the development of a range of catalytic asymmetric oxidations. Knowles developed one of the first asymmetric hydrogenation catalysts by replacing the achiral triphenylphosphine ligands in Wilkinson's catalyst with chiral phosphine ligands. This experimental catalyst was effective for enantioselective synthesis, achieving a modest 15% enantiomeric excess.

Knowles was also the first to apply enantioselective metal catalysis to industrial-scale synthesis; while working for the Monsanto Company he developed an enantioselective hydrogenation step for the production of L-DOPA, utilising the DIPAMP ligand.

Personal life

Following his retirement in 1986, Knowles resided in Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. In retirement he restored native prairie grasses on a 100-acre farm that his wife had inherited. He was married to his wife, Nancy, for 66 years and had four children, Elizabeth, Peter, Sarah and Lesley. He also had four grandchildren. Knowles died in Chesterfield on June 13, 2012, at age 95. He and his wife had previously stated that their farm would be donated to be converted into a city park after their deaths.