Famous Chemists Web Site
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British chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1947 for his
research on a wide range of organic compounds, notably alkaloids. After
obtaining his doctorate from Victoria University of Manchester in 1910, Robinson
taught at various British universities before being appointed to the Waynflete
chair of chemistry at the University of Oxford in 1930, from which he retired in
1955. He was knighted in 1939.
Robinson conducted research on the structure and synthesis of many different organic compounds. His early studies of plant pigments enabled him to synthesize anthocyanins and flavones, but his most important studies were undertaken on alkaloids; these are complex, naturally occurring, nitrogen-containing compounds that can have profound biochemical effects on living things. Robinson's efforts to determine the chemical reactions that form alkaloids in plants led him to discover the structures of morphine (1925) and strychnine (1946).
He also formulated a qualitative electronic theory of the structure of
organic molecules. His research played a role in the synthesis of penicillin and
of certain antimalarial drugs as well. Robinson wrote over 500 papers and
several books on natural products but in addition he was an avid chess player
who wrote "The Art and Science of Chess: A Step-by-Step Approach".
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