Franz Sondheimer facts for kids

Franz Sondheimer (born May 17, 1926 – died February 11, 1981) was a brilliant chemist from Germany who later became a British professor. He was known for his amazing work in chemistry, especially for creating new types of chemical compounds. In 1960, he received the Israel Prize, a very important award, for his contributions to science.

Who Was Franz Sondheimer?

Early Life and Education

Franz Sondheimer was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 17, 1926. He was the second son of Max and Ida Sondheimer. His father ran a family business that made glue. His older brother, Ernst, later became a Professor of Mathematics.

In September 1937, Franz's family moved to London, England. This was because his father had business connections there. Franz didn't know any English when he first arrived. He started school in England, first in Southend and then at Hailey School in Bournemouth.

In 1940, Franz passed an important test called the Common Entrance. He then went to Highgate School in London. In 1942, he earned his School Certificate in nine different subjects. Just over a year later, he got into Imperial College. He studied there until the end of World War II. He was the top student in his final exams. In 1948, he earned his PhD. His studies focused on special chemical compounds called acetylenic compounds. He worked under the guidance of famous chemists Ian Heilbron and E R H Jones.

A Career in Chemistry

After finishing his studies in England, Sondheimer moved to Harvard in 1948. There, he joined a research group led by Woodward. They were working on making steroids, which are important chemical compounds found in living things.

In early 1952, he moved to Syntex in Mexico City. He took over as the head of research from another famous chemist, Carl Djerassi. During his four years at Syntex, Franz helped find quick ways to make cortisone. Cortisone is a medicine used to treat many health problems. He also helped create all the main sex hormones. He really enjoyed his time in Mexico and was well-liked and respected. He even explored much of the area in his own small airplane, a Beechcraft Bonanza.

In 1956, when he was 30 years old, Sondheimer became the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry. This was at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. He built a strong team there. He went back to his favorite type of chemistry, which involved acetylene. This led to his most original and important work: the chemistry of "annulenes." Annulenes are a special group of ring-shaped chemical compounds.

In 1963, he was offered a very important professorship at the University of Chicago. He first accepted it, but then changed his mind. Instead, he accepted one of the new Royal Society Research Professorships at the University of Cambridge in England. This job gave him a lot of freedom. He set up a large international research group and became a Fellow of Churchill College.

However, he wasn't completely happy at Cambridge. So, in 1967, he moved to University College London. In May of that same year, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom. His membership paper said he was recognized for his work on making natural products. It also mentioned his work on steroid hormones. Most importantly, he was honored for creating new types of compounds called conjugated unsaturated macrocyclic compounds. These discoveries led to interesting ideas in chemistry. By that time, he had published 167 scientific papers!

Later in his career, Franz faced some challenges. It was hard to get enough money for his research. It was also difficult to hire foreign students to work with him. He continued to focus on areas of research that were becoming less popular. These things made this part of his career less satisfying.

Franz Sondheimer passed away on February 11, 1981. He was at Stanford's Stauffer Laboratory, where he had been working as a visiting professor.

Many notable students learned from Sondheimer. These include K. C. Nicolaou, Raphael Mechoulam, Timothy Walsgrove, and Henry N. C. Wong.

Awards and Honours

• In 1960, Sondheimer received the Israel Prize in exact sciences. This is one of Israel's highest honors.
• In 1961, he was given the Corday-Morgan medal and Prize. This award is for chemists in the United Kingdom.
• In 1967, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

See also

• List of Israel Prize recipients