Elias James Corey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
E.J. Corey
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Corey in 2007
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Elias James Corey
July 12, 1928 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, PhD) |
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| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Harvard University |
| Thesis | The synthesis of N,N-diacylamino acids and analogs of penicillin (1951) |
| Doctoral advisor | John C. Sheehan |
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Elias James Corey (born July 12, 1928) is an American organic chemist. Organic chemistry is the study of molecules that contain carbon. In 1990, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his important work on how to build complex molecules. He developed a special way of thinking called "retrosynthetic analysis."
Many people see him as one of the greatest living chemists. He has created many new chemical tools and methods. These have greatly improved how scientists make organic molecules.
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Biography
E.J. Corey was born in Methuen, Massachusetts, in 1928. His parents were immigrants. His father passed away when Corey was very young. His mother changed his name to Elias to honor his father. He grew up with his mother, brother, two sisters, aunt, and uncle. They lived together during a tough time called the Great Depression.
Corey was a very independent child. He loved sports like baseball and football. He went to a Catholic elementary school and Lawrence High School.
Education and Career
At just 16 years old, Corey started at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). He first thought about studying engineering. But after taking a chemistry class in his second year, he fell in love with it. He earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1948. He then stayed at MIT to get his Ph.D. in 1951.
After finishing his studies, Corey became a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He was a full professor by age 27! In 1959, he moved to Harvard University. He is now a professor there, still actively doing research. He chose organic chemistry because he found it beautiful and important for human health. He has also advised the pharmaceutical company Pfizer for over 50 years.
Corey has received many awards for his work. These include the National Medal of Science in 1988 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1990. In 2004, he received the Priestley Medal, which is the highest honor from the American Chemical Society.
Major Contributions to Chemistry
Corey has made huge contributions to organic chemistry. He has developed new chemical tools (called "reagents") and new ways to perform reactions (called "methodologies").
New Chemical Tools (Reagents)
Corey developed several important reagents. A reagent is a substance used to cause a chemical reaction.
- PCC (Pyridinium Chlorochromate): This is a useful chemical for changing alcohols into other types of organic molecules called ketones and aldehydes. It's easy to use and works well.
- Protecting Groups: Imagine you're building a complex LEGO model, and you want to work on one part without accidentally changing another. In chemistry, "protecting groups" do something similar. They temporarily cover up a part of a molecule so other reactions can happen without affecting that covered part. Corey developed popular protecting groups like TBS, TIPS, and MEM.
- Dithianes: Corey introduced a clever idea called "umpolung" chemistry using dithianes. This means reversing the usual reactivity of a chemical group. It's like making a positive end act like a negative end, which opens up new ways to build molecules.
New Ways to Do Reactions (Methodology)
Many reactions developed in Corey's lab are now commonly used by chemists around the world.
- Corey-Itsuno (CBS) Reduction: This reaction is used to change ketones into alcohols. What's special about it is that it's "enantioselective." This means it can create one specific mirror-image form of a molecule, which is very important for making medicines.
- Corey-Fuchs Alkyne Synthesis: This method helps chemists create molecules with a triple bond between carbon atoms, called alkynes. It's a way to add one carbon atom to an existing molecule.
- Corey-Kim Oxidation: This is another way to change alcohols into aldehydes and ketones. It's a safer option than some older methods that used toxic chromium.
- Corey-Winter Olefination: This reaction is used to turn specific types of alcohols (1,2-diols) into molecules with double bonds, called alkenes. It's very precise in how it arranges the atoms.
- CBS-type Enantioselective Diels-Alder Reaction: The Diels-Alder reaction is a powerful way to build ring structures in molecules. Corey developed a version that is "enantioselective," meaning it creates a specific mirror-image form, similar to the CBS reduction.
- Corey-Nicolaou Macrolactonization: This method allows chemists to create large ring structures called lactones. Before this method, it was very hard to make these large rings.
- Johnson-Corey-Chaykovsky Reaction: This reaction is used to make special three-membered rings: epoxides (with an oxygen atom) and cyclopropanes (with only carbon atoms).
Total Syntheses
E. J. Corey and his team have successfully built many complex natural molecules from simpler ones. This process is called "total synthesis." Since 1950, his group has synthesized at least 265 natural compounds.
One of his most famous achievements was the total synthesis of several prostaglandins in 1969. Prostaglandins are important biological molecules in our bodies. Building them was a big challenge because of their complex structure. Corey's special way of thinking, called retrosynthetic analysis, helped him break down the problem into smaller, solvable steps.
Other important molecules he and his team have synthesized include:
- Longifolene
- Ginkgolides A and B
- Lactacystin
- Miroestrol
- Ecteinascidin 743
- Salinosporamide A
Computer Programs
Corey and his research group also created a computer program called LHASA. This program uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help chemists figure out the best steps to build complex molecules. It was one of the first programs to let users draw chemical structures on a computer screen.
Publications
E.J. Corey has written more than 1100 scientific papers. In 2002, the American Chemical Society (ACS) recognized him as the "Most Cited Author in Chemistry." This means his work is referenced very often by other scientists.
Corey Group Members
Over the years, about 700 people have worked in Corey's research group. Many of his students have gone on to become famous chemists themselves. Some notable former members include Eric Block, Dale L. Boger, K. C. Nicolaou, and Ryōji Noyori.
Awards and Honors
E.J. Corey has received over 40 major awards. Some of these include:
- Linus Pauling Award (1973)
- Franklin Medal (1978)
- Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1986)
- National Medal of Science (1988)
- Japan Prize (1989)
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1990)
- Priestley Medal (2004)
He has also received 19 honorary degrees from universities around the world, including Oxford and Cambridge. In 2013, a research institute called the E.J. Corey Institute of Biomedical Research (CIBR) opened in China, named in his honor.
Images for kids
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PCC helps change alcohols into aldehydes or ketones.
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PCC can also be used for cyclization reactions.
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PCC can perform a special rearrangement reaction.
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An example of how a TBS protecting group can be removed.
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Removing a TIPS protecting group.
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Removing a MEM protecting group using a metal.
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How dithianes are formed.
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The Corey-Seebach reaction uses dithianes to build new carbon bonds.
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How the CBS catalyst is made.
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A simplified idea of how the CBS reduction works.
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The CBS reduction was used to make a complex natural product.
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The Corey-Fuchs reaction creates a triple bond.
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This reaction was used in making (+)-taylorione.
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How the Corey-Kim reagent is formed.
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The Corey-Kim oxidation was used in making ingenol.
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The Corey-Winter olefination was used in making (+)-Boesenoxide.
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A simplified view of the Diels-Alder reaction's transition state.
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This reaction is useful for making six-membered rings in natural products.
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A simplified mechanism of the Corey-Nicolaou macrolactonization.
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This method was used to make zearalenone.
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Different versions of the Corey-Chaykovsky reaction can create different products.
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This reaction was used in the synthesis of taxol.
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Corey's retrosynthetic analysis for prostaglandins.
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The CBS reduction improved a step in the prostaglandin synthesis.
