Frederick George Mann facts for kids

Frederick George Mann (born June 29, 1897, died March 29, 1982) was an important British scientist. He was an organic chemist, which means he studied chemicals that contain carbon, often found in living things. He spent his whole career teaching and researching at Cambridge University in England.

Frederick Mann's Journey in Chemistry

Frederick Mann loved learning about chemistry. He studied at Downing College, Cambridge, a famous university in England. There, he worked with a well-known scientist named Sir William Pope. Frederick Mann earned his PhD (a high-level science degree) in 1923.

After finishing his studies, he stayed at Downing College as a teacher's assistant. In 1930, he became a lecturer at Trinity College, another part of Cambridge University. He taught and did research at Cambridge for his entire working life, retiring in 1964.

Discoveries and Research in Chemistry

Frederick Mann's research covered many different areas of chemistry. He was especially interested in how organic chemistry (the study of carbon compounds) mixed with inorganic chemistry (the study of non-carbon compounds).

Some of the things he studied included:

• Polyamines, Phosphines, and Arsines: These are special types of chemical compounds. He looked at how they formed complexes, which are groups of atoms joined together.
• Heterocyclic Compounds: These are ring-shaped molecules that contain atoms like phosphorus and arsenic, not just carbon. He also studied how these formed metal complexes.
• Polycyclic Nitrogen Compounds: These are complex molecules with many rings that contain nitrogen.
• Transition Metal Complexes: He investigated how these colorful compounds were structured and how they affected light.
• Stereochemistry: This is the study of the 3D arrangement of atoms in molecules. It helps scientists understand how molecules fit together and react.
• Cyanine Dyes: These are special dyes used in photography and other areas.

Awards and Recognitions

Frederick Mann's important work in chemistry earned him several honors. In 1943, he won the Royal Society of Chemistry's Tilden Prize, which is a special award for chemists. A few years later, in 1947, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.