1965 ⟶ Development of Woodward–Hoffmann Rules
Robert Burns Woodward and Roald Hoffmann propose the Woodwar...
Year
1944
1952
1965
1966
1975
💊 Woodward and Doering synthesize quinine
Robert Burns Woodward and William von Eggers Doering synthesized quinine.⟶
Organic ChemistrySynthesisQuinineWoodwardDoeringDrug DiscoveryChemical SynthesisMedicinal Chemistry
Germany
USA⚛️ Discovery of Ferrocene Structure
Robert Burns Woodward, Geoffrey Wilkinson, and Ernst Otto Fischer discover the structure of ferrocene, one of the founding discoveries of the field of organometallic chemistry.⟶
ChemistryOrganic ChemistryOrganometallic ChemistryFerroceneRobert Burns WoodwardGeoffrey WilkinsonErnst Otto FischerChemical Structure
United KingdomGermany🧪 Development of Woodward–Hoffmann Rules
Robert Burns Woodward and Roald Hoffmann propose the Woodward–Hoffmann rules, which use the symmetry of molecular orbitals to explain the stereochemistry of chemical reactions.⟶
ChemistryOrganic ChemistryStereochemistryMolecular OrbitalsWoodward–Hoffmann RulesRobert Burns WoodwardRoald HoffmannChemical Reactions1960s
United States
Switzerland⚛️ Discovery of Asymmetric Catalysis
Hitoshi Nozaki and Ryōji Noyori discovered the first example of asymmetric catalysis (hydrogenation) using a structurally well-defined chiral transition metal complex.⟶
ChemistryCatalysisAsymmetric CatalysisHitoshi NozakiRyōji NoyoriTransition Metals1960sOrganic ChemistryChiral
Japan🧪 Discovery of Stereoselective Oxidation Reactions
Karl Barry Sharpless and group discover a stereoselective oxidation reactions including Sharpless epoxidation, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, and Sharpless oxyamination.⟶
ChemistryOrganic ChemistryStereochemistryOxidationSharpless EpoxidationKarl Barry SharplessAsymmetric Synthesis1970s
United States