Costin Neniţescu

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Costin Nenitescu (1902-1970) was a prominent Romanian chemist, professor at Polytechnic University of Bucharest. He was member of the Romanian Academy, corresponding member of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin and member of the Leopold Academy of Natural Scientists in Halle-Saale.

He made constant researches on the Friedel-Crafts like reactions in the series of aliphatic hydrocarbons, on the mechanism of the isomerization of cyclobasics, the halogen migration in cycles and chains, the reactions induced by carbonium ions and others. He identified a group of naphtenic acids in the Romanian oil. He searched for solutions to obtain cyclobutadiene, while explaining the chemistry of this unstable substance and isolating its dimers.

His research interests were also in the oxidation of open chain and aromatic hydrocarbons with chromic acid and chromic oxychloride. He found new methods for the synthesis of pirilium salts, of carbenes, triptamine, serotonine, two new syntheses for the indole nucleus and a new method of polymerisation of ethylene.

His researches were substantiated in more than 200 papers. His remarkable technical-scientific activity greatly supported the development of chemical industry in Romania.

Main works: "Organic Chemistry" (2 volumes; 1st print was in 1928; the 6th print was in 1965), "General Chemistry" (2nd print was in 1963).