Oskar Baudisch
Encyclopedia
Oskar Baudisch was an Austrian American biochemist
and radiographer
. He is mainly known for a chemical reaction
that bears his name, the Baudisch reaction
.
.
He received his first education in chemistry at the Staatsgewerbeschule in Reichenberg
. Since this kind of school was not sufficient to be allowed to start a Ph. D.
thesis in Austria, he went abroad. Baudisch studied chemistry in Zurich
, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1904.
, he worked for his former chemistry teacher, Ferdinand Breinl, in Reichenberg
. There he published a paper on the oxidation of proteins by hydrogen peroxide
. He then joined the group of Eugen Bamberger
at the University of Zurich
as a private assistant.
In 1907 he joined the University of Manchester
where he worked with William Henry Perkin, Jr.
. During this time he published his work on Cupferron
, a complexation
agent later used for the quantitative analysis of copper and iron. Baudisch left London in 1909 and worked in the dyestuff industry for some time. In 1911, he worked with Alfred Werner
in Zurich, and obtained his habilitation
.
Just before the outbreak of World War I, he became director of the Strahlenforschungsinstitut (radiation research institute) in Hamburg
. During the war, Baudisch served in the Austria-Hungary army in the fields of medicine and epidemic control. After the war he joined the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute
for Physics in Berlin
.
, where he was professor of photochemistry for two years. He then worked at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research where he concentrated his research on trace minerals in soil and water. In 1933 he was asked to head the New York State Institute of Balneology and Hydrotherapy at Saratoga Springs, New York
. During his time at this institute he also worked on the impact of trace minerals in water on health.
or phenol
to give o-nitrosophenols. The reaction needs copper(II) as catalyst. This reaction is today known as the Baudisch reaction
.
, La Jolla.
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
and radiographer
Radiologic technologist
A radiologic technologist, also known as medical radiation technologist and as radiographer, performs imaging of the human body for diagnosis or treating medical problems...
. He is mainly known for a chemical reaction
Chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Chemical reactions can be either spontaneous, requiring no input of energy, or non-spontaneous, typically following the input of some type of energy, such as heat, light or electricity...
that bears his name, the Baudisch reaction
Baudisch reaction
The Baudisch Reaction was discovered by Oskar Baudisch in 1939 and further developed by his colleague Cronheim. In the reaction a solution containing aqueous hydroxylamine hydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide reacts with benzene or phenol, with the assistance of copper to give o-nitrosophenols...
.
Early life and education
Baudisch was born to Joseph and Julie Baudisch in Maffersdorf, Austria, which is today Vratislavice nad Nisou, now part of the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
He received his first education in chemistry at the Staatsgewerbeschule in Reichenberg
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
. Since this kind of school was not sufficient to be allowed to start a Ph. D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
thesis in Austria, he went abroad. Baudisch studied chemistry in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1904.
Career in Europe
After a year of military service in the Austro-Hungarian ArmyAustro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
, he worked for his former chemistry teacher, Ferdinand Breinl, in Reichenberg
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
. There he published a paper on the oxidation of proteins by hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...
. He then joined the group of Eugen Bamberger
Eugen Bamberger
Eugen Bamberger was a German chemist and discoverer of the Bamberger rearrangement.-Life and achievements:Bamberger started studying medicine in 1875 at the University of Berlin, but changed subjects and university after one year, starting his studies of science at the University of Heidelberg in...
at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
as a private assistant.
In 1907 he joined the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
where he worked with William Henry Perkin, Jr.
William Henry Perkin, Jr.
William Henry Perkin, Jr. was an English organic chemist who was primarily known for his groundbreaking research work on the degradation of naturally occurring organic compounds.-Early life:...
. During this time he published his work on Cupferron
Cupferron
Cupferron, the ammonium salt of N-nitroso-N-phenylhydroxylamine, is a common reagent for the complexation of metal ions. Its formula is...
, a complexation
Complex (chemistry)
In chemistry, a coordination complex or metal complex, is an atom or ion , bonded to a surrounding array of molecules or anions, that are in turn known as ligands or complexing agents...
agent later used for the quantitative analysis of copper and iron. Baudisch left London in 1909 and worked in the dyestuff industry for some time. In 1911, he worked with Alfred Werner
Alfred Werner
Alfred Werner was a Swiss chemist who was a student at ETH Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for proposing the octahedral configuration of transition metal complexes. Werner developed the basis for modern coordination chemistry...
in Zurich, and obtained his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
.
Just before the outbreak of World War I, he became director of the Strahlenforschungsinstitut (radiation research institute) in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. During the war, Baudisch served in the Austria-Hungary army in the fields of medicine and epidemic control. After the war he joined the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute
The Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Advancement of Science was a German scientific institution established in 1911. It was implicated in Nazi science, and after the Second World War was wound up and its functions replaced by the Max Planck Society...
for Physics in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
In America
In 1920, he went to Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he was professor of photochemistry for two years. He then worked at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research where he concentrated his research on trace minerals in soil and water. In 1933 he was asked to head the New York State Institute of Balneology and Hydrotherapy at Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. During his time at this institute he also worked on the impact of trace minerals in water on health.
Baudisch reaction
In 1939 Baudisch discovered a reaction in an aqueous mixture of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and benzeneBenzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
or phenol
Phenol
Phenol, also known as carbolic acid, phenic acid, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5OH. It is a white crystalline solid. The molecule consists of a phenyl , bonded to a hydroxyl group. It is produced on a large scale as a precursor to many materials and useful compounds...
to give o-nitrosophenols. The reaction needs copper(II) as catalyst. This reaction is today known as the Baudisch reaction
Baudisch reaction
The Baudisch Reaction was discovered by Oskar Baudisch in 1939 and further developed by his colleague Cronheim. In the reaction a solution containing aqueous hydroxylamine hydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide reacts with benzene or phenol, with the assistance of copper to give o-nitrosophenols...
.
Death
Baudisch drowned on 28 March 1950 near La Jolla, California in a boating accident. He had been working on a research project on trace elements in the sea for the Scripps Institution of OceanographyScripps Institution of Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, is one of the oldest and largest centers for ocean and earth science research, graduate training, and public service in the world...
, La Jolla.