Brice Bosnich

Brice Bosnich FRS (3 June 1936 - 13 April 2015)[1] was an Australian inorganic chemist. He gained recognition for the design of complex ligands useful in homogeneous catalysis.

Professional career

He graduated from University of Sydney with a BSc in 1958, and from Australian National University with a PhD in 1962, where he studied with Francis Patrick Dwyer. Contemporaries included Alan Sargeson. After leaving ANU, he taught at University College, London.[2] He then moved to the University of Toronto, where he remained from 1970 to 1987. Thereafter he became Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor at University of Chicago.[3][4] After his retirement he became a Visiting Fellow at his alma mater, Australian National University.[5]

Contributions

As an independent scientist at the University of Toronto, he developed a rational approach to chiral diphosphine ligands, the premier member being chiraphos. Unlike previous chiral ligands, the chirality of chiraphos arose from the backbone of the chelate. This concept underpins many of the C2-symmetrical ligands subsequently developed in asymmetric hydrogenation.[6][7][8] Other areas of research included hydroacylation catalysis and the development of ligands that mimic the spectroscopic properties of the blue copper proteins.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Notices 2015". royalsociety.org.
  2. ↑ "The UCL Periodic Table of the Lecturers: Brice Bosnich". ucl.ac.uk.
  3. ↑ "Chemistry Department - University of Chicago". uchicago.edu.
  4. ↑ "Faculty receive named, distinguished appointments". uchicago.edu.
  5. ↑ "Professor Brice Bosnich". anu.edu.au.
  6. ↑ Fryzuk, M. D.; Bosnich, B. (1977). "Asymmetric synthesis. Production of optically active amino acids by catalytic hydrogenation". J. Am. Chem. Soc 99: 6262–6267. doi:10.1021/ja00461a014.
  7. ↑ Fryzuk, M. D.; Bosnich, B. (1978). "Asymmetric synthesis. An asymmetric homogeneous hydrogenation catalyst which breeds its own chirality". J. Am. Chem. Soc 100: 5491–5494. doi:10.1021/ja00485a037.
  8. ↑ Fryzuk, M. D.; Bosnich, B. (1979). "Asymmetric synthesis. Preparation of chiral methyl chiral lactic acid by catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 101: 3043–3049. doi:10.1021/ja00505a035.
  9. ↑ Amundsen, Alan R.; Whelan, John; Bosnich, B. (1977). "Biological analogs. Nature of the binding sites of copper-containing proteins". J. Am. Chem. Soc 99 (20): 6730–6739. doi:10.1021/ja00462a042.

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