Richard F. Heck | |
|---|---|
 Heck in 2010 | |
| Born | Richard Frederick Heck August 15, 1931 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 9, 2015 (aged 84) Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | UCLA (BS, PhD) |
| Known for | Heck reaction |
| Spouse | Socorro Nardo-Heck (died 2012) |
| Awards | Glenn T. Seaborg Medal (2011) Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Delaware Hercules ETH Zurich De La Salle University |
| Thesis | Methoxyl and aryl groups in substitution and rearrangement (1955) |
| Doctoral advisor | Saul Winstein |
Richard Frederick Heck (August 15, 1931 – October 9, 2015) was an American chemist noted for the discovery and development of the Heck reaction, which uses palladium to catalyze organic chemical reactions that couple aryl halides with alkenes. The analgesic naproxen is an example of a compound that is prepared industrially using the Heck reaction.
For his work in palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions and organic synthesis, Heck was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with the Japanese chemists Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki.[1]
- ^ Press release 6 October 2010, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, retrieved October 6, 2010