Date of birth:1917-1979;

Title: American chemist;

Country: United States;

Personal situation: Woodward 1933 studied at MIT and became interested in chemistry. He received his bachelor's degree in 1936 and his doctorate in 1937, when he was only 20 years old. After graduation, he taught at Harvard University. He was a professor from 65438 to 0950 and taught in this school all his life. 1963 concurrently serves as the director of Woodward Institute in university of basel. During the period of1940-1942, many papers were published, which vividly described the relationship between ultraviolet spectrum and molecular structure. It is proved that physical methods are more conducive to revealing the material structure than chemical methods, and Woodward criterion is derived from this. From 1945 to 1947, Woodward determined the structures of penicillin, oxytetracycline and strychnine 12 natural organic compounds. During the period of1944-1975, he synthesized more than 20 complex organic compounds, such as quinine, cholesterol, adrenocortical hormones cortisone and reserpine, chlorophyll, lanosterol and vitamin B. In 1965, he cooperated with quantum chemistry expert R Hoffman to put forward the principle of conservation of molecular orbital symmetry, which is usually called Woodward-Hoffman.

Woodward made great contributions to the development of science and technology all his life, and also won many lofty honors: 1965 won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his research achievements in the structure and synthesis of natural organic compounds; He is a member of the Royal Society and received the David Medal of the Royal Society on 1959. He is also a member of the American Academy of Sciences; And won the national science medal with 1964; 1970 also won the Japanese Asahi medal. 1979 On July 8, Woodward died of a heart attack in Massachusetts at the age of 62.