Lavoslav Ružička 452431 222838548 2008-07-01T10:47:46Z LiniShu 308788 was a a Croatian scientist -> was a Croatian scientist {{Infobox_Scientist |name = Lavoslav Ružička |image = |image_width = |caption = |birth_date = [[September 13]], [[1887]] |birth_place = [[Vukovar]], then [[Austria-Hungary]], today [[Croatia]] |residence = [[Switzerland]] |nationality = [[Croats|Croat]] |death_date = {{death date and age|1976|9|26|1887|9|13}} |death_place = [[Mammern]], [[Switzerland]] |field = [[organic chemistry]] </br>[[biochemistry]] |work_institution = [[ETH Zurich]] |alma_mater = [[Universität Karlsruhe (TH)|Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe ]] |doctoral_advisor = [[Hermann Staudinger]] |doctoral_students = |known_for = |prizes = [[Image:Nobel_prize_medal.svg|20px]] [[Nobel Prize for Chemistry]] (1939) |religion = |footnotes = }} '''Lavoslav (Leopold) Stjepan Ružička''' ([[September 13]], [[1887]] &ndash; [[September 26]], [[1976]]) was a Croatian scientist, winner of the 1939 [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]]. He was awarded eight honorary doctorates (four in science, two in medicine, one in natural sciences, one in law), seven prizes and medals, and 24 honorary memberships in chemical, biochemical, and other scientific societies. ==Early years and education== Ružička was born in [[Vukovar]] (at the time part of [[Austria-Hungary]], today [[Croatia]]). His [[family]] of craftsmen and farmers was of [[Czechs|Czech]], [[Ethnic German|German]] and [[Croats|Croatian]] origin. Ružička attended the classics-program secondary school in [[Osijek]]. He changed his original [[idea]] of becoming a priest and switched to studying technical disciplines. [[Chemistry]] was his choice, probably because he hoped to get a position at the newly opened [[sugar]] [[refinery]] built in Osijek. Due to the excessive hardship of everyday and political life, he left and chose the High Technical School in [[Karlsruhe]] in [[Germany]]. He was a good [[student]] in areas he liked and that he thought would be necessary and beneficial in future, which was [[organic chemistry]]. That is why his [[physical chemistry]] professor, [[Fritz Haber]] ([[Nobel laureate]] in 1918), opposed his ''[[summa cum laude]]'' [[academic degree|degree]]. However, in the course of his studies, Ružička set up excellent cooperation with [[Hermann Staudinger]] (a [[Nobel laureate]] in 1953). Studying within Staudinger's department, he obtained his doctor's degree in 1910. With Staudinger, Ružička went to [[Zurich]] and was his assistant. ==Work and research== Ružička's first works originated during that period in the field of chemistry of natural compounds. He remained in this field of research all his life. He investigated the ingredients of the [[Dalmatia]]n [[insect]] powder ([[Pyrethrum cinereriifolium]]), a highly esteemed [[insecticide]]. In this way, he came into contact with the chemistry of [[terpene]], a [[fragrant]] oil of vegetable origin, interesting to the [[perfume]] [[industry]]. He intended to start individual research and even started successful and productive cooperation with the Chuit & Naef Company (later known as [[Firmenich]]) in [[Geneva]]. In 1916-1917, he received the support of the oldest perfume [[manufacturer]] in the [[world]] ''Haarman & Reimer'', of Holzminden in Germany. With expertise in the terpene field, he became senior lecturer in 1918, and in 1923, honorary professor at the [[ETH Zurich|ETH]] (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) as well the [[University of Zurich|University]] in Zurich. Here, with a group of his doctoral students, he proved the structure and existence of the compounds of [[muscone]] and [[civet]], the scents derived from the musk deer and the civet cat. The [[Ruzicka large ring synthesis]] is a method in [[organic chemistry]] for the [[organic synthesis]] of these type of compounds. In 1921, the Geneva perfume manufacturers Chuit & Naef asked him to collaborate. Working here, Ružička achieved financial independence, but not as big as he did plan so he left Zurich to start working for the [[Ciba]], [[Basel]]- based company. In 1927, he took over the organic chemistry chair at [[Utrecht University]] in [[Netherlands]]. In Netherlands he remained for three years, and then returned to [[Switzerland]], which was superior in its chemical industry. Back to Zurich, at ''ETH'' he became [[professor]] of organic chemistry and started the most brilliant period of his professional career. He widened the area of his [[research]], adding to it the chemistry of higher terpenes and [[steroids]]. After the successful synthesis of sex [[hormones]] ([[androsterone]] and [[testosterone]]), his [[laboratory]] became the world center of organic chemistry. In 1939, he won the [[Nobel prize]] for chemistry with [[Adolf Butenandt]]. In 1940, following the award, he was invited by the [[Croatian Chemical Association]], where he delivered a lecture to an over packed hall of dignitaries. The topic of the lecture was '''From the Dalmatian insect powder to sex hormones'''. During the [[World War II]], some of his excellent collaborators were lost, but Ružička restructured his laboratory with new, younger and promising people; among them was young scientist [[Vladimir Prelog]]. With new people and ideas new research areas were opened. Following 1950, Ružička returned to chemistry, which had entered a new era of research. Now he turned to the field of [[biochemistry]], the problems of [[evolution]] and genesis of life, particularly to the [[biogenesis]] of terpenes. He published a hypothesis titled '''Biogenetic [[isoprene]] rule'''<ref>{{cite journal | title = The isoprene rule and the biogenesis of terpenic compounds | author = Lavoslav Ružička | journal = Journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences | volume = 9 | issue = 10 | pages = 357–367 | year = 1953 | doi = 10.1007/BF02167631}}</ref>, which was the peak of his scientific career. Ružička retired in [[1957]], turning over the running of the laboratory to his assistant and future Nobel laureate [[Vladimir Prelog]]. Ružička dedicated significant efforts to the problems of [[education]]. He insisted on a better organization of academic education and scientific work in the new [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], and established the [[Swiss-Yugoslav Society]]. Ružička became a honorary [[academician]] at the then [[Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts]] in [[Zagreb]]. In [[Switzerland]], the [[Ruzicka Award|Ružička Award]] was established, for young chemists working in Switzerland. In his native [[Vukovar]], a [[museum]] was opened in his honour in 1977. ==References== <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/laureates/1939/ruzicka-bio.html Lavoslav Ružička ] * [http://www.ethistory.ethz.ch/besichtigungen/touren/vitrinen/konjunkturkurven/vitrine61 Lavoslav Ružička at the ETH] * {{cite journal | title = Leopold Ruzicka. 13 September 1887-26 September 1976 | author = [[Vladimir Prelog]]; Oskar Jeger | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society | year = 1980 | volume = 26 | issue = | pages = 411–501 | url = http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4606%28198011%2926%3C411%3ALR1S1S%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W | doi = 10.1098/rsbm.1980.0013 }} <br>{{Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureates 1926-1950}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruzicka, Lavoslav}} [[Category:1887 births]] [[Category:1976 deaths]] [[Category:ETH Zurich faculty]] [[Category:People associated with the University of Zurich]] [[Category:Croatian biochemists]] [[Category:Croatian scientists]] [[Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry]] [[Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates]] [[Category:Utrecht University faculty]] [[Category:Members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts]] [[Category:People from Vukovar]] [[ar:ليو بولد روزيتشكا]] [[bs:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[ca:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[cs:Leopold Ružička]] [[de:Leopold Ružička]] [[es:Leopold Ružička]] [[fr:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[hr:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[id:Leopold Ruzicka]] [[it:Leopold Ruzicka]] [[he:לבוסלב רוז'יצ'קה]] [[sw:Leopold Ruzicka]] [[nl:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[ja:レオポルト・ルジチカ]] [[oc:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[pl:Leopold Ružička]] [[pt:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[ro:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[ru:Ружичка, Леопольд]] [[sr:Лавослав Ружичка]] [[fi:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[sv:Lavoslav Ružička]] [[zh:拉沃斯拉夫·鲁日奇卡]]