David A. Evans

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David A. Evans
David A. Evans picture from Nature journal
Born
David Albert Evans

(1941-01-11)January 11, 1941
DiedApril 29, 2022(2022-04-29) (aged 81)
Alma materOberlin College B.S. (1963)

University of Michigan

Synthetic organic chemistry
InstitutionsUniversity of California, Los Angeles (1967-1974)

California Institute of Technology (1974-1983)

Harvard University (1983-2022)
ThesisA Stereoselective Approach Toward the Synthesis of Some Pentacyclic Triterpenes (1968)
Doctoral advisorRobert E. Ireland
Other academic advisorsNorman Craig
Doctoral studentsErick M. Carreira, Gregory Fu, Margaret Faul, James L. Leighton, Yimon Aye
Other notable studentsTehshik Yoon, Amir H. Hoveyda, Mark Lautens, David MacMillan, Marisa Kozlowski
Websiteevans.rc.fas.harvard.edu

David A. Evans (January 11, 1941 – April 29, 2022)

synthetic chemistry and total synthesis, particularly of large biologically active molecules. Among his best-known works is the development of aldol reaction methodology (for example, Evans' acyl oxazolidinone method).[6]

Early life and education

Evans was born on January 11, 1941, in Washington, D.C. He received his A.B. from Oberlin College in 1963, where he worked with Norman Craig.[7] He began his graduate work at the University of Michigan with Robert E. Ireland, but moved with the Ireland group to the California Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. from Caltech in 1967.[4][5][7]

Academic career

Evans began his independent research career at the

professor emeritus status, in 2008.[4][5]

Research

Evans made many scholarly contributions to the field of organic chemistry.

enantioselective reactions based on bis-oxazoline (box) ligands. The Evans–Saksena reduction[8][9] and Evans–Tishchenko reaction take their names from him.[10] He is also well known for preparing a set of unpublished though widely disseminated lecture notes for Chemistry 206, a graduate-level organic chemistry course at Harvard.[11]

Developing ChemDraw

The widely used chemical structure drawing software package ChemDraw was initially conceived by Evans and was developed by a graduate student, Stewart Rubenstein, with input from Evans, his wife Sally, and the Evans research group for the preparation of the group's manuscripts.[12] ChemDraw was premiered in July 1985 at the Gordon Research Conference on Reactions & Processes in New Hampshire where Rubenstein and the Evanses demonstrated the new software during a break in the conference.[13]

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ David A. Evans (1941-2022)
  2. S2CID 249989990
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  3. ^ HALFORD, BETHANY (May 5, 2022). "Organic chemist David A. Evans dies at 81". Chemical & Engineering News. 100 (16).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "David A. Evans - Curriculum Vitae". Harvard University. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "David Evans". Harvard University. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
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  11. ^ Evans, David A. (2006). "Harvard's Advanced Organic Chemistry". Internet Archive. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  12. PMID 25131311
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  13. .
  14. ^ "David Evans". National Academy of Sciences Member Directory. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  15. ^ "Tetrahedron Prize for Creativity in Organic Chemistry or Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry". Elsevier. Archived from the original on September 9, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  16. ^ "Arthur C. Cope Award". ACS. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
  17. ^ "Past Recipients". American Chemical Society. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  18. ^ "Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry". ACS. Retrieved November 6, 2017.