William Lipscomb

Profession: Chemist

Nationality:

Biography: William Lipscomb is best known for his work on the structure and bonding of boron hydrides. This research helped scientists understand how chemical bonds work and how electron-deficient compounds behave. For this work, Lipscomb won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1976.

Lipscomb grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. As a child, he was interested in chemistry, astronomy, and physics. He went to the University of Kentucky on a music scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1941. He then went to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to study under Linus Pauling and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1946.

Early in his career, Lipscomb used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study boron hydrides and related compounds. He developed ways to use NMR to figure out the structure of these molecules and also came up with a theory to explain how NMR chemical shifts work.

Lipscomb's most important work was on the structure and bonding of boron hydrides. He used X-ray crystallography to determine the molecular structure of boranes and came up with theories to explain their unusual bonds. He worked with other famous chemists like M. Frederick Hawthorne and Roald Hoffmann, who was one of Lipscomb's students.

Later in his career, Lipscomb studied the structure and function of large biological molecules, especially proteins and enzymes. He used X-ray diffraction to solve the structures of many important molecules. He also helped develop new techniques for studying molecules at low temperatures.

Lipscomb mentored many young scientists, including Thomas A. Steitz and Ada E. Yonath, who both went on to win Nobel Prizes.

Throughout his career, Lipscomb received many honors and awards for his work. In addition to the Nobel Prize, he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and a mineral, lipscombite, was named after him.

Born: December 9, 1919
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Sign: Sagittarius

Died: April 14, 2011 (aged 91)