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Michael F. Lappert facts for kids

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Michael Lappert

Michael F. Lappert.png
Born (1928-12-31)31 December 1928
Died 28 March 2014(2014-03-28) (aged 85)
East Sussex, England, U.K.
Alma mater Northern Polytechnic
Scientific career
Fields inorganic chemistry
Thesis Interaction of boron trichloride with alcohols and ethers (1951)
Doctoral advisor William Gerrard
Doctoral students E.W. Abel
Philip Power

Michael Franz Lappert (31 December 1928 – 28 March 2014) was a famous inorganic chemist. He was born in Czechoslovakia and later became a British citizen. Michael Lappert was known for his important work with special chemical compounds. These compounds are called organometallic complexes. He spent most of his career at the University of Sussex in the UK.

Early Life and Education

Michael Lappert was born in Czechoslovakia in 1928. When he was a child, he came to the United Kingdom. He was part of a special rescue effort called the Kindertransport. This program helped many children escape danger before World War II.

He studied chemistry and earned his PhD degree in 1951. He received this degree from the Northern Polytechnic in London.

Career and Research

Michael Lappert was an inorganic chemist. This means he studied chemicals that do not mainly contain carbon and hydrogen bonds. His research often focused on how atoms connect to each other in unusual ways. He looked at compounds where atoms had a "low coordination number." This means they had fewer connections than usual.

He also studied "metal amido complexes." These are special chemical compounds. They contain a metal atom connected to a nitrogen atom. His work helped scientists understand more about how these chemicals behave. This knowledge is important for making new materials and medicines.

Awards and Honours

Michael Lappert received many awards for his scientific work. In 1979, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). Being a Fellow of the Royal Society is a very big honour for a scientist in the United Kingdom. It means you are recognized as one of the best in your field.

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