Derek Barton and shape-shifting molecules
It’s 100 years since Derek Barton was born. Mike Sutton looks at his work developing conformational analysis
It’s been 100 years since the British chemist and Nobel laureate Derek Barton was born. His story is one of a prodiguous intellect coupled with an exceptional work ethic that saw him author more than 1000 papers and win numerous awards, including the 1969 chemistry Nobel prize. His work developing conformational analysis helped to transform the study of steroids and he made signficant contributions to the synthesis of these compounds too.