Ernest Ludwig Eliel (December 28, 1921 – September 18, 2008) was an

organic chemist Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, J.; ...

born in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Among his awards were the

Priestley Medal The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen ...

in 1996 Michigan State University. Department of Chemistry. Portraits. Ernest L. Eliel
retrieved Aug. 11, 2018.
Ernest Ludwig Eliel , 1921 - 2008 , Obituary, retrieved May 5, 2017. and the

NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society The NAS Award for Chemistry in Service to Society is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "for contributions to chemistry, either in fundamental science or its application, that clearly satisfy a societal need." It has been awarded eve ...

in 1997. When the Nazis came to power, he left Germany and moved to Scotland, then Canada, then Cuba. He received his B.S. from the

University of Havana The University of Havana or (UH, ''Universidad de La Habana'') is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. Founded on January 5, 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first ...

in 1946. He moved to the United States in 1946 and taught at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

from 1948. In 1972 he moved to be the W.R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

until his retirement in 1993. Eliel was elected a Fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

in 1980. In 1981, Eliel became a founding member of the

World Cultural Council The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill and philanthropy among individuals. The organization founded in 1981 and based in Mexico, has held a yearly award ceremony since 198 ...

. He served as president of the

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...

in 1992. In 1995 he received the

George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education The George C. Pimentel Award in Chemical Education recognizes "outstanding contributions to chemical education." It is a national award, given annually by the American Chemical Society and sponsored by the ACS Division of Chemical Education and the ...

, and in 1996 he was awarded the

of the

. He died in

Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...

. His research focussed on the

stereochemistry Stereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, involves the study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules and their manipulation. The study of stereochemistry focuses on the relationships between stereois ...

and

conformational analysis In chemistry, conformational isomerism is a form of stereoisomerism in which the isomers can be interconverted just by rotations about formally single bonds (refer to figure on single bond rotation). While any two arrangements of atoms in a mo ...

of flexible organic molecules, including derivatives of

cyclohexane Cyclohexane is a cycloalkane with the molecular formula . Cyclohexane is non-polar. Cyclohexane is a colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive detergent-like odor, reminiscent of cleaning products (in which it is sometimes used). Cyclohexan ...

and saturated

heterocyclic A heterocyclic compound or ring structure is a cyclic compound that has atoms of at least two different elements as members of its ring(s). Heterocyclic chemistry is the branch of organic chemistry dealing with the synthesis, properties, and ...

rings, using

nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy or magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), is a spectroscopic technique to observe local magnetic fields around atomic nuclei. The sample is placed in a magnetic fiel ...

(NMR) extensively. His 1962 textbook ''Stereochemistry of Carbon Compounds'' influenced generations of organic chemists. The most recent edition is ''Stereochemistry of Organic Compounds'', co-authored in 1994 with Samuel H. Wilen.

References

External links

Jeffrey I. Seeman, "Ernest L. Eliel", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2014)
1921 births 2008 deaths Organic chemists Presidents of the American Chemical Society University of Notre Dame faculty University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Founding members of the World Cultural Council Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Cologne Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Stereochemists 20th-century American chemists {{US-chemist-stub