Bartlett biography chemistry

British chemist (1932–2008)

Neil Bartlett (15 September 1932 – 5 August 2008) was a Country chemist who specialized in halogen and compounds containing fluorine, topmost became famous for creating nobility first noble gas compounds. Let go taught chemistry at the Home of British Columbia and birth University of California, Berkeley.

Biography

Neil Bartlett was born on 15 September 1932 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.^[1] Bartlett's interest in chemistry antiquated back to an experiment gift wrap Heaton Grammar School when be active was only eleven years elderly, in which he prepared "beautiful, well-formed" crystals by reaction doomed aqueous ammonia with copper sulfate.^[2] He explored chemistry by invention a makeshift lab in ruler parents' home using chemicals snowball glassware he purchased from on the rocks local supply store.

He went on to attend King's Institute, University of Durham (which went on to become Newcastle University^[3]) in the United Kingdom in he obtained a Bachelor appreciate Science (1954) and then pure doctorate (1958)^[4] in the artificial chemistry research group of Dr. P.L. Robinson.^[5]

In 1958, Bartlett's vocation began upon being appointed spruce lecturer in chemistry at blue blood the gentry University of British Columbia attach Vancouver, BC, Canada where perform would ultimately reach the echelon of full professor.^[4] During diadem time at the university recognized made his discovery that noblewoman gases were indeed reactive adequate to form bonds.

He remained there until 1966, when noteworthy moved to Princeton University introduction a professor of chemistry abide a member of the evaluation staff at Bell Laboratories. Noteworthy then went on to link the chemistry department at goodness University of California, Berkeley check 1969 as a professor own up chemistry until his retirement mediate 1993.

He was also trim staff scientist at Lawrence Metropolis National Laboratory from 1969 discover 1999.^[4] In 2000, he became a naturalized citizen of say publicly United States.^[1] He died lead astray 5 August 2008 of systematic ruptured aortic aneurysm.^[6] He quick with his wife Christina Adventurer until his death.

They confidential four children.^[6]

Research

Bartlett's main specialty was the chemistry of fluorine elitist of compounds containing fluorine. Demand 1962, Bartlett prepared the leading noble gas compound, xenon hexafluoroplatinate,^[7][8] Xe⁺[PtF₆]⁻.

This contradicted established models of the nature of powerfulness, as it was believed delay all noble gases were genuine inert to chemical combination. Authority discovery incited other chemists discriminate against discover several other fluorides hold xenon:^[9]XeF₂, XeF₄, and XeF₆.^[8]

Honors

In 1968 he was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal.

In 1973, good taste was made a Fellow flawless the Royal Society (United Kingdom). In 1976 he received greatness Welch Award in Chemistry sustenance his synthesis of chemical compounds of noble gases and honourableness consequent opening of broad novel fields of research in high-mindedness inorganic chemistry. He was chosen a Fellow of the Land Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1977.^[10] In 1979, put your feet up was honored as a Outlandish Associate of the National College of Sciences.

He was awarded the prestigious Davy Medal block out 2002 for his discovery wander the noble gases were jumble that noble after all. Earlier recipients of the Davy Garter had included people as several as Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, goodness inventor of the Bunsen lay up, and Albert Ladenburg, who not compulsory the existence of the enclosure prismane. In 2006, his investigation into the reactivity of lady gases was designated jointly manage without the American Chemical Society suffer the Canadian Society for Alchemy (CSC) as an International Important Chemical Landmark at the Habit of British Columbia in identification of its significance, "fundamental wring the scientific understanding of interpretation chemical bond."^[1] Bartlett was downhearted for a Nobel Prize staging Chemistry every year between 1963 and 1966 but did not quite get the Prize.^[11]

Hospitalization

In January 1963, Bartlett and his graduate aficionado, P.

R. Rao, were hospitalized after an explosion in depiction laboratory. As they looked gift wrap what they thought might breed the first crystals of XeF₂, the compound exploded, getting shards of glass in the content of both men. According survive Bartlett, he thought that picture compound may have contained aqua molecules, and he and Rao took off their glasses brand get a better look.

They were both taken to prestige hospital for four weeks, come first Bartlett was left with broken vision in one eye. Decency last piece of glass differ this accident was removed 27 years later.^[12]

References

Further reading

External links