Charles John Pedersen 安井 良男 | |
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Born | |
Died | October 26, 1989 Salem, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 85)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of Dayton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Known for | Discovery of crown ethers Development of metal deactivators |
Awards | Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1987) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Organic chemistry |
Institutions | DuPont |
Charles John Pedersen (Japanese: 安井 良男, Yasui Yoshio, October 3, 1904 – October 26, 1989) was an American organic chemist best known for discovering crown ethers and describing methods of synthesizing them during his entire 42-year career as a chemist for DuPont at DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, and at DuPont's Jackson Laboratory in Deepwater, New Jersey.[1] Often associated with Reed McNeil Izatt, Pedersen also shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987 with Donald J. Cram and Jean-Marie Lehn. He is the only Nobel Prize laureate born in Korea other than Peace Prize laureate Kim Dae-jung.[2]
Pedersen made countless other discoveries in chemistry, such as discovering and developing metal deactivators.[3] His early investigations also led to the development of a dramatically improved process for manufacturing tetraethyl lead, an important gasoline additive.[4] He also contributed to the development of neoprene.[5]