Diels Alder Reaction Lab

Diels Alder Reaction: Formation of dimethyl tetraphenylphthalate, hexaphenylbenzene, tetraphenylnaphthalene, and triptycene

Introduction One of the most important discoveries ever made in organic chemistry happened by the hands of two great chemists, Kurt Alder and Otto Paul Hermann Diels, around the year 1928.6 This partnership was forged in Otto Diels’ lab at the University of Kiel.8 They discovered how to make a six membered ring in a single step.5 This reaction is commonly known as the Diels-Alder reaction. Their finding earned them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry from the year 1950.7 It was given to them based on, “their discovery and development of the diene synthesis.”7 This partnership was forged in Otto Diels’ lab at the University …show more content…
His contribution to inorganic and organic has been extensive. Otto was born January 23, 1876 in Hamburg Germany.8 He was not born to just common folk. His father was also a professor at a university.8 Otto went to Berlin University in 1895, where he studied chemistry and other science subjects.8 He became a professor in 1906, followed soon after by being named Head of Department in 1913.8 In 1916, he moved to the University of Kiel as both a Professor and Director of the Institute of Chemistry.8 This is where his most famous work, the Diels-Alder reaction was discovered. At first, his research involved inorganic chemistry. Here he discovered an oxide of carbon, carbon suboxide, which had some unusual properties.8 His work following this, was in the field of organic chemistry. He was the first to use selenium as a reagent for dehydrating different hydroaromatic compounds.8 This was an immensely useful tool in finding different complicated steroid series.8 His work did not go unnoticed. He was given many awards such as a Gold Medal at the St. Louis International Exhibition, the Adolf v. Baeyer Medallion in 1930, the Grosskreuz des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in 1952, and even holds an honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Kiel.8 As well as the respectable Noble Prize in …show more content…
6 Kurt continued onto the University of Kiel and earned his Ph.D.6 His thesis paper was even written over the work of his and Diel’s.6 Kurt Alder then was promoted to lecturer in 1934.6 Two years later Alder left to become the head of department in science laboratories at the I.G. Farben-Industrie where he worked on the construction of synthetic rubber.6 He finished his career as the Chair for Experimental Chemistry at Cologne University.6 Alder’s work did not go without recognition. On top of his Nobel Prize in Chemistry, he was given the Emil Fischer Memorial Medal in 1938, an honorary M.D. from the University of Cologne, and an honorary doctorate from the University of

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