Lauri Vaska
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[[Image:Lauri Vaska.jpg|thumb|Lauri Vaska]]
'''Lauri Vaska''' (born [[May 7]], [[1925]], in [[Rakvere]], [[Estonia]]) is an [[Estonians|Estonian]]-born chemist who has made noteworthy contributions to [[organometallic chemistry]].
Vaska was educated at the [[Baltic University]] in [[Hamburg]], Germany (1946) and subsequently at the [[Georg-August University of Göttingen|Universität Göttingen]] (1946-1949) where he received his vordiplom (equivalent to the American B.S. degree). He pursued his Ph.D. in [[Inorganic Chemistry]] at the [[University of Texas]] (1952-1956). He was a postdoctoral fellow at [[Northwestern University]] (1956-1957) where he conducted research on magnetochemistry. In 1957 he took a position as Fellow at the [[Mellon Institute]] in Pittsburgh where he remained until 1964. During that time, the Mellon Institute housed a number of future chemical luminaries, include [[Paul Lauterbur]] and R. Bruce King. Vaska moved as an associate professor to [[Clarkson University]] in [[Potsdam, New York]] where, since 1990, he remains Professor Emeritus of Chemistry.
==Research==
Vaska published ''ca.'' eighty journal articles on the [[coordination chemistry]] of [[transition metal]]s, [[homogeneous catalysis]], and both organometallic and [[bioinorganic chemistry]]. His years at Mellon were especially productive.
With J.W. Di Luzio in 1962 he first described the [[iridium]] compound which has now become known as [[Vaska's complex]], ''trans''-IrCl(CO)(P(C<sub>6</sub>H<sub>5</sub>)<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub><ref>{{cite journal|author=L. Vaska and J.W. DiLuzio |title=Carbonyl and Hydrido-Carbonyl Complexes of Iridium by Reaction with Alcohols. Hydrido Complexes by Reaction with Acid |journal=[[Journal of the American Chemical Society]] |date=1961 |volume =83 |pages =2784–5 |doi=10.1021/ja01473a054}}</ref> Working with a series of coworkers, he demonstrated that this iridium(I) complex undergoes a variety of reactions with small molecules. For example, it oxidatively adds H<sub>2</sub> to give a dihydride.<ref>{{cite journal|author=L. Vaska and J.W. DiLuzio|title=Activation of Hydrogen by a Transition Metal Complex at Normal Conditions Leading to a Stable Molecular Dihydride|journal=[[Journal of the American Chemical Society]]| date=1962 |volume = 84|pages= 679–680| doi=10.1021/ja00863a040}}</ref> He subsequently discovered that his complex reversibly bound O<sub>2</sub>, which was then a startling achievement. He discovered the main reactions of [[oxidative addition]], a process that is central to [[homogeneous catalysis]] in organometallic chemistry. He demonstrated a number of important substituent effects on the oxidative addition, such as the greater reactivity of Ir(I) ''vs.'' Rh(I) and the stabilization of oxidative adducts by iodide ''vs.'' chloride.
==Recognition==
Vaska received significant recognition for his work, although this recognition is not commensurate with his achievements and level of innovation. Among his awards are the [[Boris Pregel|Boris Pregel Award]] for Research in Chemical Physics ([[New York Academy of Sciences]]) in 1971 and election in 1981 as a Fellow of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] for "pioneering work in transiton metal organometallic chemistry and synthetic oxygen carriers".
<!--is this an award or what:
Centennial - American Chemical Society, 1876-1976: citations for pioneering work in homogeneous catalysis and bioinorganic chemistry, 1976
National Science Foundation's Annual Report: research highlighted, 1978-->
==References==
<references/>
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[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American chemists]]
[[Category:Estonian chemists]]
[[Category:Estonian-Americans]]
[[Category:People from Rakvere|Vaska, Lauri]]
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