mr wallis
Otto Diels
Otto Diels was a German chemist who was born 25th January 1876 in Hamburg, Germany. Otto attended the University of Berlin in 1899 and remained there as a Professor from 1906 to 1916, in this time he discovered a new oxide of carbon - carbon suboxide C3O2 which was refined from the work of Benjamin Brodie. Carbon suboxide is used to prepare malonate ions CH2(COO)22− and to help fur dye better. Later Diels joined the University of Kiel from 1916 to 1950. in 1922 he developed a new method of dehydrogenating organic compounds, by adding selenium as a reagent. This proved to be a valuable asset in determining chemical structures of complicated steroids. In 1950, Otto and his student Kurt Alder won a noble prize "for their discovery and development of the cycloaddition synthesis". Also referred to as the diene synthesis, in which the reaction of a diene and a carbonyl or carboxyl compound to give unsaturated cyclic compounds. As there are many possible reactants, it follows that many new products can be formed which lead to the creation of many new alkaloids, insecticides, plastics, polymers, rubber, and steroids which could now be affordably mass produced. He held an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kiel and was a member of the Academies of Halle, Munich, and Göttingen. Diels married in 1909 to Paula Geyer. They had three sons and two daughters, two of their sons served in World War II and were killed in action. He enjoyed music, travel, and as a child had been known to do mountaineering. He died on March 7, 1954 of a fatal heart attack.
Otto Diels was a German chemist who was born 25th January 1876 in Hamburg, Germany. Otto attended the University of Berlin in 1899 and remained there as a Professor from 1906 to 1916, in this time he discovered a new oxide of carbon - carbon suboxide C3O2 which was refined from the work of Benjamin Brodie. Carbon suboxide is used to prepare malonate ions CH2(COO)22− and to help fur dye better. Later Diels joined the University of Kiel from 1916 to 1950. in 1922 he developed a new method of dehydrogenating organic compounds, by adding selenium as a reagent. This proved to be a valuable asset in determining chemical structures of complicated steroids. In 1950, Otto and his student Kurt Alder won a noble prize "for their discovery and development of the cycloaddition synthesis". Also referred to as the diene synthesis, in which the reaction of a diene and a carbonyl or carboxyl compound to give unsaturated cyclic compounds. As there are many possible reactants, it follows that many new products can be formed which lead to the creation of many new alkaloids, insecticides, plastics, polymers, rubber, and steroids which could now be affordably mass produced. He held an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kiel and was a member of the Academies of Halle, Munich, and Göttingen. Diels married in 1909 to Paula Geyer. They had three sons and two daughters, two of their sons served in World War II and were killed in action. He enjoyed music, travel, and as a child had been known to do mountaineering. He died on March 7, 1954 of a fatal heart attack.