Henry Taube facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Henry Taube
Born	(1915-11-30)November 30, 1915 Neudorf, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died	November 16, 2005(2005-11-16) (aged 89) Palo Alto, California, U.S.
Nationality	Canadian United States
Alma mater	University of Saskatchewan (B.Sc.) (1935) University of Saskatchewan (M.Sc) (1937) University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D) (1940)
Known for	Inner sphere electron transfer
Awards	National Medal of Science (1976) Welch Award in Chemistry (1983) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1983) NAS Award in Chemical Sciences (1983) Priestley Medal (1985)
Scientific career
Institutions	Cornell University, University of Chicago, Stanford University
Doctoral advisor	John Spinks

Henry Taube (November 30, 1915 – November 16, 2005) was a Canadian-born American chemist. He won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This award was for his important work on how electrons move between different chemicals. He studied these "electron-transfer reactions" especially in metal compounds.

Henry Taube was the second Canadian-born chemist to win the Nobel Prize. He is also the only Nobel winner born in Saskatchewan. He earned his first two degrees at the University of Saskatchewan. Then, he got his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. After his studies, he worked at top universities like Cornell University, the University of Chicago, and Stanford University.

Besides the Nobel Prize, Taube received many other big science awards. These included the Priestley Medal in 1985. He also got two Guggenheim Fellowships early in his career. His research mainly looked at redox reactions, which are about how electrons are exchanged. He also studied transition metals and used special "labeled" atoms to track reactions. He wrote over 600 scientific papers and one book. He also taught and guided more than 200 students.

Becoming a Scientist: Henry Taube's Education

When Henry Taube was 12, he left his small hometown. He moved to Regina to attend Luther College for high school. After graduating, he stayed at Luther College. He worked as a lab assistant for Paul Liefeld. This job helped him take his first university classes.

Taube then went to the University of Saskatchewan. He earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in 1935. He completed his Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in 1937. His main teacher at the University of Saskatchewan was John Spinks. He also studied with Gerhard Herzberg, who later won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971.

After his studies in Canada, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley. He finished his Ph.D. studies there in 1940. His Ph.D. mentor was William Bray. Henry Taube's research during this time focused on how certain chemicals break down when exposed to light.

Henry Taube's Research and Teaching Career

Where Henry Taube Worked

After finishing his education, Henry Taube stayed in the United States. He became a chemistry instructor at Berkeley until 1941. He wanted to go back to Canada for work. But he didn't get any job offers from Canadian universities.

From Berkeley, he moved to Cornell University. He worked there as an instructor and assistant professor until 1946. During World War II, Taube helped with national defense research.

Next, Taube taught at the University of Chicago. He was an assistant, associate, and then a full professor from 1946 to 1961. He was even the head of the chemistry department from 1956 to 1959. But he didn't really like the administrative work.

After Chicago, Taube became a professor at Stanford University. He worked there until 1986. This job let him focus on his research. He also taught classes to both undergraduate and graduate students. In 1986, he became a Professor Emeritus at Stanford. This meant he was retired but could still do research. He continued his research until 2001. He even visited his labs every day until he passed away in 2005. He also worked as a consultant for Los Alamos National Laboratory for many years.

Henry Taube's Chemistry Discoveries

Henry Taube's early research at Cornell University continued his graduate studies. He looked at chemicals that cause oxidation. He used special "labeled" atoms to track these reactions. The American Chemical Society recognized him for these studies in 1955.

His interest in coordination chemistry grew when he had to create a new course at the University of Chicago. He found that there wasn't much information in textbooks. He realized his work on carbon reactions could apply to inorganic compounds.

In 1952, Taube published a very important paper. It showed how the speed of chemical reactions was linked to the electron structure of metals. This was the first time anyone noticed this connection. Taube's biggest discovery was that molecules form a "chemical bridge" when they exchange electrons. Before this, scientists thought electrons just swapped directly. This "bridge" idea explained why similar metals reacted at different speeds. His paper was called "one of the true classics in inorganic chemistry" by the journal Science.

Taube also studied ruthenium and osmium. These elements are good at "back bonding." This is a special way electrons are shared. It was key to understanding how electrons move between molecules during a reaction.

Looking back, Taube said it was sometimes hard to find students for his electron transfer research. They often preferred other "more exciting" projects. He felt his early ideas about electron configuration and reaction speed were good. But he wished he had better theories available at the time to explain them.

Awards and Honors for Henry Taube

Winning the Nobel Prize

Henry Taube received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He won it for his work on how electrons move in chemical reactions, especially in metal compounds. He got his award on December 8, 1983. His Nobel Lecture was called "Electron Transfer between Metal Complexes - Retrospective."

His Nobel Prize was the second given to a Canadian-born chemist. His important paper from 1952 was 30 years old when he won the prize. But the ideas he described were still the main way scientists understood these reactions. After winning the Nobel Prize, Taube noticed a fun side effect: his students paid much better attention in class!

Other Important Awards

Taube became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1959. In 1976, President Jimmy Carter gave him the National Medal of Science. This was for his work on understanding how chemicals react.

In 1985, Taube received the Priestley Medal. This is the highest honor from the American Chemical Society. It's given for great service to chemistry. He also received Guggenheim Fellowships in 1949 and 1955. In 1965, he got the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.

He was made an honorary member of several chemistry groups around the world. These included groups in Spain, Canada, and Hungary. He also became an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Indian Chemical Society. In 1988, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Many universities gave him honorary degrees. These included the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Chicago, and the University of Guelph. In 1997, a special Nobel Laureate Plaza was built at the University of Saskatchewan. It honored both Taube and Gerhard Herzberg.

Henry Taube's Lasting Impact

In 1981, Taube helped start the World Cultural Council. By 1997, he had published over 600 scientific papers. He had also worked with more than 250 students. He wrote a book called Electron Transfer Reactions of Complex Ions in Solution in 1970. Many of his students became professors at famous universities.

Henry Taube and his student Carol Creutz discovered a special metal compound. It is now named the Creutz-Taube complex after them. His work has been honored in many ways. There was a special meeting about his research in 1982. A science book series dedicated its 30th volume to him.

Luther College in Regina offers a scholarship in his honor. It helps science students entering the college. Stanford University also created a seminar series in his honor. Taube gave the first lecture in this series.

His colleagues remember him as a very dedicated scientist. Jim Collman from Stanford called him "a scientist's scientist." Harry Gray from the California Institute of Technology said Taube was "a role model and leader." A former student, Peter Ford, remembered that Taube "made chemistry not only challenging and stimulating, but a lot of fun as well."

Henry Taube's Personal Life

Henry Taube was born on November 30, 1915. He was the youngest of four boys. His family lived in Neudorf, Saskatchewan, Canada. His parents were German immigrants from Ukraine. They had moved to Saskatchewan in 1911. Growing up, his first language was Low German.

His family's ancestors had moved to Russia in the 1700s. Catherine the Great had invited Central European farmers to settle there. But over time, the special rights given to these settlers were taken away. So, many of them moved to North America. Saskatchewan offered good farmland and other benefits for immigrants.

Taube remembered his childhood in Saskatchewan fondly. He said growing up on a farm taught him to appreciate nature. It also taught him to work hard and get things done.

After finishing his studies, Taube became a citizen of the United States in 1942. He married his wife, Mary, in 1952. They had three children: Karl, Heinrich, and Linda. His stepdaughter, Marianna, passed away from cancer in 1998.

When he stopped his active research in 2001, Taube still helped as a reviewer and consultant. But his main goal was to "enjoy life." Outside of chemistry, he loved gardening and classical music, especially opera. In 2003, he was one of 22 Nobel winners who signed the Humanist Manifesto.

Henry Taube passed away at his home in Palo Alto, California, on November 16, 2005. He was 89 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Henry Taube para niños