Charles J. Pedersen
Charles John Pedersen 安井 良男 | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 3, 1904 |
| Died | October 26, 1989 (aged 85) Salem, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Dayton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Discovery of crown ethers Development of metal deactivators |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Chemistry (1987) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | DuPont |
Charles John Pedersen (Japanese: 安井 良男, Yasui Yoshio, October 3, 1904 – October 26, 1989) was an American organic chemist best known for discovering crown ethers and describing methods of synthesizing them during his entire 42-year career as a chemist for DuPont at DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware, and at DuPont's Jackson Laboratory in Deepwater, New Jersey. Often associated with Reed McNeil Izatt, Pedersen also shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987 with Donald J. Cram and Jean-Marie Lehn. He is one of three Nobel Prize laureates born in Korea, along with Peace Prize laureate Kim Dae-jung and Literature laureate Han Kang.
Pedersen made many other discoveries in chemistry, such as discovering and developing metal deactivators. His early investigations also led to the development of a dramatically improved process for manufacturing tetraethyl lead, an important gasoline additive. He also contributed to the development of neoprene.