Werner Emmanuel Bachmann

Werner Emmanuel Bachmann (November 13, 1901 - March 22, 1951) was a U.S. chemist. Bachmann was born in Detroit, Michigan where he studied chemistry and chemical engineering at Wayne State University and later at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor nearby. He completed his doctorate under Moses Gomberg and spent the rest of his academic career at the University of Michigan.

Bachmann studied physical organic chemistry (rearrangements, free radicals) and organic synthesis. He is considered a pioneer in steroid synthesis, and carried out the first total synthesis of a steroidal hormone, equilenin. [http://www.chemistry.msu.edu/Genealogy/work-area-B.shtml] His name is associated with the Gomberg-Bachmann reaction for the synthesis of diaryl compounds from aryl diazonium chlorides. [http://www.ecompound.com/Reaction%20reference/name_reaction_alphabetical2.htm]

Bachmann developed a new method for the production of Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), which was used by the United States during the World War II. [cite journal
title = A New Method of Preparing the High Explosive RDX1
author = WE Bachmann, JC Sheehan
journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1949
year = 1949
voulume = 71
issue = 5
pages = 1842–1845
url = http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jacsat/1949/71/i05/f-pdf/f_ja01173a092.pdf?sessid=6006l3]

References

*cite journal
author = Robert C. Elderfield
journal = Biographical Memories of the National Academy of Science
year = 1951
title = Werner Emmanuel Bachmann (1901-1951)
url = http://books.nap.edu/html/biomems/wbachmann.pdf
* [http://www.chemistry.msu.edu/Genealogy/work-area-B.shtml Michigan State University Bachmann Biography]
* [http://www.ecompound.com/Reaction%20reference/name_reaction_alphabetical2.htm Gomberg-Bachmann reaction]
* [http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/rschg/biog.html Dictionary of Chemists]