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Charles John Pedersen (October 3, 1904 – October 26, 1989) was an American organic chemist best known for describing methods of synthesizing crown ethers. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987 with Donald J. Cram and Jean-Marie Lehn. He is the only Nobel Prize laureate born in Korea other than Peace Prize laureate Kim Dae-jung.

Early Life and Education

Born on October 3, 1904 in Pusan, South Korea^[10], Charles J. Pedersen was the youngest of three children. According to his autobiographical account of his life found on the official website for the Nobel Prize, his father, Brede Pedersen, was a Norwegian marine engineer who immigrated to Korea in order to join the Korean customs service after leaving home due to family issues to become an engineer in the Far East^[11]. Later, he worked as a mechanical engineer at the Unsan Mines in present-day North Korea^[12]. His mother, Takino Yasui, immigrated from Japan to Korea with her family and established a successful line of work by trading soybeans and silkworms located close to the Unsan Mines, where the couple ultimately met^[11]. Although not much is mentioned about his elder brother, who had died of a childhood disease before Pedersen was born, he had an older sister named Astrid, who was five years older than him^[11]. In Japan, he used the Japanese given name Yoshio (良男), which he spelled using the kanji for "good" and "man."^[6]

According to Pedersen himself, in a separate autobiographical account of his childhood, he had been born prior to the Russo-Japanese war, and because his mother had still been grieving over the then-recent death of his older brother, he did not feel welcomed as a child^{[citation needed, p.496]}.

Despite living in modern day South Korea, because Pedersen lived in the vicinity of the American-owned Unsan Mines, which spanned approximately 500 square miles in area^[13], he grew up speaking primarily English^[11].

At around 8 years old, Pedersen was sent by his family to study abroad in Nagasaki, Japan, and then later transferred to St. Joseph College in Yokohama, Japan^[14].

After successfully completing his education at St. Joseph College^[14], due to the close ties his family had with the Society of Mary(should be hyperlinked to the Society of Mary (Marianists) Wiki page)^[11], Pedersen decided to attend college in America at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

While spending his undergraduate life in 1922 studing chemical engineering at the University of Dayton in Ohio, Pedersen had been a well balanced student who immersed himself in the sports, academic, and social aspects of his college. With a deep passion for the sport of tennis, Pedersen played on his school’s varsity tennis team under Coach Frank Kronauge, a former University of Dayton tennis captain^{[citation needed, p.124]}. Playing for all four years of his undergraduate years, Pedersen became captain for both of his junior and senior seasons on the team^{[citation needed]}. Furthermore, Pedersen spent his time as both the Vice-President of the Engineers’ Club as well as in charge of Literary in the Daytonian Editorial Department^{[citation needed].} Graduating from the University of Dayton in 1926 with a degree in chemical engineering^{[citation needed]},he was dedicated for his time at the university as well as the various accomplishments he made while studying as an undergraduate.

After receiving a bachelor's degree, he went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received a master's degree in organic chemistry. Although his professors encouraged him to pursue a Ph.D. at MIT, Pedersen decided to start his career instead, partially because he no longer wanted to be supported by his father. He is one of the few people to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences without having a Ph.D^[6].

Du Point

Earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Pedersen decided to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in order to obtain a master’s degree in organic chemistry. Although his professors at the time encouraged him to stay and someday obtain a PhD in organic chemistry, he refused^[11]. After leaving graduate school, Pedersen became employed at the Du Pont Company in Wilmington, Delaware in 1927 through connections from his research advisor, Professor James F. Norris^[15]. While at Du Pont, Pedersen was able to begin research at the Jackson Laboratory under William S. Calcott, where he remained for his entire 42-year career as a chemist^[11]. While at Du Point as a young chemist Pedersen witnessed many flourishing chemists such as Julian Hill and Roy Plunkett. He witnessed breakthroughs in polymers and work in organic chemistry. This is the environment that Pedersen was in while beginning his work^[22]. Pedersen had a particular interest in industry as he started his focus on his chemical career, which influenced the direction of problems he set out to solve as a chemist. As Pedersen began working on problems as a new chemist he was independent to work on whatever problems fascinated him and he quickly became interested in oxidative degradation and stabilization of substrates^[22]. Pedersen's papers and work expands beyond this but this work was a major influence in his Nobel work.

Pedersen Remained in DuPont where he would remain for 42 years, retiring at the age of 65. At DuPont, his work resulted in 25 papers and 65 patents. In 1967 he published two works that are now considered classics;^[7] they describe the methods of synthesizing crown ethers (cyclic polyethers).^[8] The donut-shaped molecules were the first in a series of extraordinary compounds that form stable structures with alkali metal ions. In 1987 he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Donald Cram and Jean-Marie Lehn for his work in this area; Cram and Lehn expanded upon his original discoveries.

Discovery of the Crown Ethers

Synthesis of Bis [2-(o-Hydroxyphenoxy)Ethyl] Ether (First of the Aromatic Crown Ethers)

Cyclic Polyether Macrocyclic Compounds (Dibenzo-18-Crown-6 in Methanol)

At around 1960, Pedersen went back to research in the field of coordination chemistry, to which focused on synthesizing multidentate ligands. It was recommended by his colleague Herman Schroeder to work on coordination chemistry of vanadium where he began to work to understand the polymerization and oxidation catalytic activity of vanadium. It was while working on this research that Pedersen made his discovery of crown ethers.  Through studying the bio[2-(o-Hydroxyphenoxy)Ethyl] ether, Pedersen accidentally discovered an unknown substances described as a “goo” while purifying the compound. Using ultraviolet spectrophotometry to study the reactions of the phenols, after treating the samples with alkali, although the absorption curve initially showed no changes, it was observed to have shifted to higher absorption readings if one or more of the hydroxyl groups were unpaired. Basing further research on this observation, Pedersen then dipped the unknown product in methanol and sodium hydroxide. Although the solution was not soluble in methanol, it became alkaline when in contact with the sodium hydroxide. Due to not being soluble in methanol, Pedersen then proceeded to treat the methanol with soluble sodium salt, to which the unknown substance became soluble, allowing him to conclude that the solubility was due to sodium ions instead of alkalinity. Since the behavior of this substance mirrored that of 2,3-benzo-1,4,7-trioxacyclononane, with twice the molecular weight, the unknown molecule was then coined as dibenzo-18-crown-6, the first of the aromatic crown compounds discovered.

Associations with other Chemists

Reed M. Izatt  

In 1968 Izatt was on a train ride home where he stopped in Chicago to meet with the physiologist George Eisenman who informed Izatt about Pedersen’s paper on crown ethers published only months earlier.  Izatt was looking forward to the possibilities of studying these crown ethers with his thermionic titration technique. Izatt called Pedersen and was the first scientist not at Du Pont to meet with Pedersen about his discovery and Pedersen supplied him with a sample of his new crown ether compound.  Izatt’s work on molecular recognition was greatly influenced by his interaction with Pedersen. In Izatt’s last visit with Pedersen prior to his death in 1988 he found a personal letter written by Pedersen that stated, “Most men achieve ‘Immortality’ through their progeny. I have no child of my own. Possibly, the crown ethers will serve, in a small way, to mark my footprint on earth” and Izatt believing this too shares Pedersen’s message^[18].

Donald J. Cram

Cram shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Pedersen but expanding on Pedersen’s monumental discovery in macrocyclic chemistry of crown ethers^[12].  Pedersen’s work was in two dimensional structures but Cram was able to synthesize similar molecules in three dimensions.  Cram’s synthesis of these three dimensional molecules provided large gains in the production of enzymes made in labs as these structures have selectivity based on complementary structures^[20].

Jean-Marie Lehn

   Lehn was the other scientist who shared the 1987 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Pedersen and was fundamental in starting the field of supramolecular chemistry.  Lehn’s work specifically identified in his recognition for the nobel prize was in his work on cryptands^[22].

Miscellaneous Research

Copper Complex of N, N’ -(1,2-Propylenebis) (Salicylideneimine)

Diameters of cations

Although minimal research has been conducted on this compound, Pedersen observed that it had potential to work as an deactivator for copper. Nevertheless, it was the first of the many metal deactivators, which function by converting an inactive complex from an otherwise catalytic metal ion[7].

Molecular structure of the salicylideneimine compound

Personal Life

Although not much is shared about his personal life, in his autobiography, Pedersen states that he had been married to Susan Ault in 1947^[cite]. The couple then moved to Salem, New Jersey, where they resided until they passed away^[cite]. Ault passed away on February 8th, 1983 at 72 years old ^[cite]. Pedersen was diagnosed with myeloma in 1983, and though he was becoming increasingly frail, he traveled to Stockholm to accept the Nobel Prize in late 1987. Shortly thereafter, he was awarded a medal for excellence by the du Pont Research Fellows. He died on 26 October 1989 in Salem, New Jersey.^[9]

Legacy

Pedersen’s work started an advancement in a new field of chemistry that has seen extraordinary growth of the field he pioneered.  Following Pedersen’s breakthrough realizing his accidental product and structure of dibenzo-18-crown 6 huge advancements have been made in the fields of macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry.  Pedersen devoted the rest of his research career to studying these molecules starting one of the largest growth recently in a specific field of chemistry. This huge growth in Pedersens field of work following his momentous discovery for macrocyclic compounds can be seen in the work of the 2016 Nobel prize winner in chemistry for molecular motors where Pedersen’s work allowed for the insight in how to create the molecules specific structures.  The molecular machines recognized as the focus of the 2016 nobel prize winners were produced by connecting molecular various molecular rings^[18].

Publications

Pedersen, Charles J. “The Discovery of Crown Ethers.” Science, vol. 241, no. 4865, 1988, pp. 536–540

Pedersen, Charles J. "Cyclic polyethers and their complexes with metal salts" 1967, 89 (10), 2495-2496 DOI: 10.1021/ja00986a052

References

10. "DJ와 또 한 명 … 노벨위원회엔 '한국 출생 수상자' 2명 기록 [DJ and another ... Nobel committee's record of two Korean-born winners]". Joins.com. October 12, 2014.
11. The Journal of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. ACCJ. 1987. p. 41.
12. "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1987". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
13. "The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1987". NobelPrize.org. Retrieved 2019-01-24.
14. Wong, Sue-Lin; Sagolj, Damir (April 12, 2018). "The Cold Frontier: Dreams of Gold". Reuters. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
15. "Charles J. Pedersen - Biographical". The Nobel Foundation.
16. C. J. Pedersen (1967). "Cyclic polyethers and their complexes with metal salts". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 89 (26): 7017–7036. doi:10.1021/ja01002a035.
17. Charles J. Pedersen (1988). "Macrocyclic Polyethers:Dibenzo-18-Crown-6 Polyether and Dicyclohexyl-18-Crown-6 Polyether". Organic Syntheses.; Collective Volume, 6, p. 395
18. "The Benner, Cleaveland and Related Families - Obituary of Charles Pedersen". rgcle.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
19. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (1999). “Charles J. Pedersen”[website]. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved April 27, 2019, fromhttps://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-J-Pedersen
20. Pedersen, C. J, Lehn, J. M., and Cram, D. J. (1987). “Charles J. Pedersen Biographical”[website]. The Nobel Prize. Retrieved April 28, 2019, from https://www.nobelrpize.org/prizes/chemistry/1987/pedersen/biographical/
21. Wong, S. L. (2018). “The Cold Frontier”[website]. Reuters Investigates. Retrieved April 29, 2019, from https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/northkorea-china-border-gold/
22. Palmer, S. J. (1962). American Gold Mining in Korea’s Unsan District. Pacific Historical Review, 31(4), 379-391. doi: 10.2307/3636264 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3636264?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents )
23. Gilhooly, R. (2000). “Oldest international school’s closure leaves many questions”[website]. the japan times. Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2000/05/27/national/oldest-international-schools-closure-leaves-many-questions/#.XMiIXoplChA
24. “Daytonian 1929”(1926). University Yearbooks.3. https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1012&context=archives_yrbk
25. (n.d.). (2015). “Metal Deactivators.”[website]. Polymer Properties Database. Retrieved May 1, 2019, from http://polymerdatabase.com/polymer%20chemistry/Metal%20Deactivators.html
26. Pedersen, C. (1988). The Discovery of Crown Ethers. Science, 241(4865), 536-540. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1701735
27. Izatt, Reed M., Charles J. Pedersen's legacy to chemistry, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, v.46, issue 9, pg. 2380-2384, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 10.1039/C7CS00128B, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C7CS00128B
28. Pedersen, Charles J. Cyclic polyethers and their complexes with metal salts, Journal of the American Chemical Society, v.89, n26, pg. 7017-7036, 1967, 10.1021/ja01002a035, [https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01002a035
29. Donald J. Cram – Facts. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Media AB 2019. Sat. 4 May 2019. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1987/cram/factshttps://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/inmemoriam/html/donaldjamescram.html
30. Lehn, J. M. (1995). Supramolecular Chemistry: Concepts and Perspectives. Weinheim: VCH.
31. Pedersen, C. J. (n.d.). The Discovery of Crown Ethers (Noble Lecture). Lecture presented at Nobel Lecture.

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