| RefNo | EC/1988/02 |
| Previous numbers | Cert XXII, 99 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Beckwith, Athelstan Laurence Johnson: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1981 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | Professor Beckwith is distinguished for his contribution to the chemistry of organic free radicals. After early independent studies on free radical substitution reactions he clarified the mechanism and scope of the cooxidation reaction of thiols with unsaturated compounds. In collaboration with Professor D.H.R. Barton he discovered the direct lactonisation reaction of N-haloamides. Subsequently a large body of work on the reaction of amides, urethanes and acids with lead tetra-acetates appeared, including a number of synthetically useful processes. Recently he has made great strides in understanding the stereoelectronic effects in free radical cyclisation and ring opening and was the first to point out the importance of geometry in understanding these processes. These ideas have been condensed into a set of guidelines for radical cyclisation which are of considerable use to organic chemists. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA3907 | Beckwith; Athelstan Laurence Johnson (1930 - 2010) | 1930 - 2010 |