ROBERT ROBINSON: BIOGRAPHY AND CONTRIBUTIONS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Robert Robinson (1886-1975) was an organic chemist of British origin, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1947 for his research on anthocyanins and alkaloids. His contribution to science and the development of humanity has been very significant. The causes of such resonance are due, among other things, to the fact that his scientific work was centered around plants or products derived from them.

His research in relation to vegetables focused on elements such as anthocyanins and alkaloids, mainly. Likewise, his participation in the synthesis of penicillin during the Second World War period was relevant.

The personality of this scientist was extremely complex. He was not only linked to the world of science, but also to mountaineering and chess.

His research work went hand in hand with teaching and his students expressed that his discourse combined science with personal elements. His life and work earned him various awards, including the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1947 and the Royal Medal in 1932.

Biography

Early years

Robert Robinson was born on September 13, 1886 in the county of Derbyshire in England. His father was somehow linked to science since he was dedicated to making surgical bandages. Inventiveness was also an inherited trait, as his father designed his own manufacturing machines.

Robinson's passion was geared to the scientific field from an early age, so he had a penchant for both mathematics and chemistry. Ultimately, it was his father's influence that led him down the path of organic chemistry.

His elementary studies were carried out at the Chesterfield Grammar School and the Fulneck private school. Subsequently, his studies in chemistry were done at the University of Manchester, where he received his Bachelor's degree in 1905 and obtained his doctorate in 1910.

Teaching career

In 1912 he became a professor of Pure and Applied Chemistry at the University of Sydney. For a period of 3 years he held this position until in 1915 he returned to England and assumed the chair of Organic Chemistry at the University of Liverpool.

In 1920 he briefly accepted a managerial position in the British Dyestuffs Corporation. However, in 1921 he assumed a chair of chemistry at Saint Andrews to eventually enter the University where he had graduated; Manchester.

From 1928 to 1930 he went on to teach at the University of London. Finally in 1930 she entered the University of Oxford where she remained until 1954, the year in which she retired.

From that moment until his death on February 8, 1975, he was a professor emeritus. He also served as director of the Shell oil company and was an honorary member of Magdalen College.

Family life and personal interests

Robert Robinson was married twice. In his first nuptials he was a partner of Gertrude Maud Walsh, whom he widowed in 1954. Later in 1957 he married an American also widowed, Stern Sylvia Hillstrom.

From his first wife he had two children and it was she who accompanied him not only in the conjugal plane but in many of his investigations. Gertrude Maud Walsh and Robinson were married when she was a doctoral student.

In his personal life Robert Robinson was a very dense personality. He was not only an outstanding scientist but also passionate about mountaineering and chess.

This exuberant personality was perhaps one of the causes that created the prestigious chemical journal Tetrahedron, which still has an important presence in the scientific community. Indeed, during his youth, this chemist climbed the Alps, the Pyrenees, as well as other important mountain ranges in the world.

When it comes to chess, this Englishman was prominent and came to represent the University of Oxford in various tournaments. He was also president of the British Chess Federation between 1950 and 1953 and co-author of the chess book The Art and Science of Chess.

Contributions

Robert Robinson's scientific work was focused on research on substances of plant origin, especially plant dyes and alkaloid compounds. He was also involved in the synthesis of the sex hormones known as stilbestrol and stilbestrol.

Anthocyanins

In relation to colorants, his research was focused on the so-called anthocyanins, which are the elements responsible for the blue, red and violet pigmentation of plants.

Additionally, his work contributed to the development of penicillin at a key historical moment: World War II.

Alkaloids

Four alkaloids were the axes of his research: strychnine, morphine, nicotine and tropinone. The scientific approach was referred here both to deciphering the molecular structure, as well as to achieve the synthesis of said substances.

In particular, studies on these compounds contributed to the development of medicines for the treatment of malaria. This was decisive for global public health along with their collaboration in the development of penicillin.

It is important to mention that alkaloids are extremely dangerous substances and that they can produce psychoactive and physiological effects in humans and animals. Even small doses of these elements can cause death.

Pyrimidine and vitamin C

So many were his experiments that he even established relationships between pyrimidine and vitamin C. It should be mentioned that pyrimidine and benzene have enormous similarities.

The graphic scheme by which benzene is denoted is also Robinson's work, as is the inference of the link between said structure and its characteristic aroma.

His studies in relation to molecular reactions set precedents in the history of chemistry, such as the case of the reaction called Robinson's anelation. He made hundreds of publications in media such as the Journal of the Chemical Society.

Honors

A life of excellence in scientific studies yielded countless fruits. In 1931 he received the title of Sir by King George V. He was also the recipient of the Faraday, Davy and Royal medals. He served as president of the Royal Society between 1945 and 1950 and of the British Chemical Society in 1939 and 1941.

Robert Robinson's peak moment was the obtaining of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1947. The life and work of this scientist make him a true legend in the scientific field.

References

1. Birch, AJ (1993). Investigating a scientific legend: the tropinone synthesis of Sir Robert Robinson, FRS London: The Royal Socieity Publishing.
2. Siegel, A. (2013). Sir Robert Robinson's "Anthocyanin Period": 1922–1934 - A Case Study of an Early Twentieth-Century Natural Products Synthesis. Taylor & Francis Online.
3. Todd, L., & Cornforth, J. (2014). Robert Robinson. In R. Society, Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society (pp. 414-527). England: Royal Society.
4. Weininger, S., & Stermitz, F. (1988). Organic chemistry. Spain: Reverte.
5. Williams, TI (1990). Robert Robinson: Chemist Extraordinary. England: Clarendon Press.