Robert H. Crabtree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Crabtree
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Robert Crabtree in London, February 2019
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Robert Howard Crabtree
17 April 1948 London, England, UK
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| Nationality | British/United States |
| Education | Brighton College |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (BA) University of Sussex (PhD) |
| Known for | Crabtree's catalyst |
| Awards | Corday-Morgan Prize (1982) Centenary Prize (2013) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organometallic chemistry |
| Institutions | Yale University Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles |
| Thesis | Transition Metal Dinitrogen Complexes Adduct Formation and Base Character (1973) |
| Doctoral advisor | Joseph Chatt |
| Other academic advisors | Malcolm Green< Hugh Felkin |
Robert Howard Crabtree (born 17 April 1948) is a British-American chemist. He is known for his important work in chemistry. He used to be a professor at Yale University in the United States. He is also famous for creating "Crabtree's catalyst" and for writing a textbook about organometallic chemistry.
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Education and Early Career
Robert Crabtree went to Brighton College from 1959 to 1966. He then studied at the University of Oxford and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1970. Later, he received his PhD from the University of Sussex in 1973.
After getting his PhD, he worked as a researcher in France. He joined Yale University in 1977 as a professor. He taught there until 2021 and is now a professor emeritus, which means he is retired but still connected to the university.
Published Works
Robert Crabtree has written many important books and articles. His most famous book is The Organometallic Chemistry of the Transition Metals, which has been updated many times. He also helped edit big chemistry encyclopedias.
Awards and Honours
Robert Crabtree has received many awards for his work in chemistry.
- He was named a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 1981.
- He received the Corday-Morgan Medal in 1982.
- He won the Organometallic Chemistry Prize from the American Chemical Society in 1991.
- He was given the ISI Highly Cited Author Award in 2000.
- He became a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2017.
- He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2018.
- He received the Centenary Prize in 2013.
Key Discoveries in Chemistry
Robert Crabtree's research has led to many important discoveries. He has explored new ways to make chemical reactions happen.
Hydrogenation and Crabtree's Catalyst
Crabtree is well-known for his work on hydrogenation. This is a process where hydrogen is added to a chemical compound. He developed a special substance called Crabtree's catalyst. This catalyst uses iridium metal and is very good at adding hydrogen precisely.
For example, when a substance called terpinen-4-ol is hydrogenated, Crabtree's catalyst adds hydrogen to a specific part of the molecule. It is much more accurate than other catalysts. This shows how well the catalyst works with the molecule.
Crabtree also studied how to break and form C–H bonds. He found a way to reverse hydrogenation. This means he could remove hydrogen from molecules. For instance, he removed hydrogen from cyclooctane to form cyclooctadiene. This was one of the first times scientists showed how to activate C–H bonds using a metal complex.
New Types of Hydrogen Bonds
Crabtree's research also looked at a new kind of hydrogen bonding. This type of bond involves metal hydrides. Normally, hydrogen bonds form between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom like oxygen.
Crabtree found that hydrogen can also bond to aromatic rings. Even more surprisingly, he discovered "dihydrogen bonds." In these bonds, two hydrogen atoms from different molecules bond together. These bonds are much shorter than usual hydrogen-hydrogen distances. His findings help us understand how molecules connect and how to design better catalysts.
Mesoionic Carbenes (MICs)
Crabtree has also made big steps in the study of carbenes. He focused on special carbenes called "mesoionic carbenes" (MICs). These carbenes are useful as ligands in metal complexes and in catalytic reactions.
He found new ways to create and study these carbenes. He also introduced the first example of an iridium complex with a C4 coordinated imidazolylidene. This complex is used in a type of reaction called transfer hydrogenation.
Manganese Dimers for Oxygen Production
Crabtree's research has improved our understanding of how oxygen is made in certain chemical reactions. He studied manganese di-μ-oxo dimers. These are special molecules that can help create oxygen.
He suggested a simple way that oxygen forms when a manganese dimer reacts with NaClO. His work showed that the oxygen atoms in the new oxygen molecule come from water. This process is similar to how plants make oxygen during photosynthesis.
Overall, Robert Crabtree has made huge contributions to chemistry. His work includes activating C–H bonds, understanding water oxidation, and improving hydrogenation. He is known for choosing unique projects and developing useful catalysts.
