The Gomberg Century: Free Radical

Gaseous carbonium ions from the decay of tritiated molecules, 8, 79 General base and nucleophilic catalysis of ester hydrolysis and related reactions, 5, The Gomberg Century Free Radicals 1900-2000, 36, 1 Gomberg and the Nobel Prize, 36, 59... 

The proposal by Moses Gomberg in 1900 of the formation of the stable and persistent free radical triphenylmethyl was a major landmark that set the stage for the rapid development of free radical chemistry in the 20th Century. Prior to Gomberg s proposal, the theory of free radicals had risen to prominence and then fallen into disrepute, but his work immediately attracted the attention of the world chemical community, and led to the ultimate acceptance of this once controversial concept. 

In summary, the science of free radical chemistry showed remarkable advancement during the Century following Gomberg s seminal contribution in 1900. The current vigor of the field shows that the impetus provided by the pioneers mentioned in this brief survey is by no means spent. The breadth of the field indicates that any future comprehensive survey will be a major undertaking. However, there are recent concise descriptions of the field that are highly recommended. ... 

Shortly before Lennart Eberson died in 2000, he examined the archives of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to try to understand why Gomberg was not awarded a Nobel Prize.310 The topics dealt with by Tidwell and by Eberson have subsequently been treated again at much greater length. Tidwell s article covers the development of free radical chemistry in the 20th century and cites 399 references.311 Eberson s investigations of the Nobel Archives are presented in even greater detail.312 Tidwell has also written an essay on Wilhelm Schlenk (1879-1943) described as The Man behind the Flask who was a pioneer in free radical chemistry.313... 

Eree radicals had been of interest since the middle of the 19th century. Gomberg s observation of the persistent triphenylmethyl radical (see chapter 1) added support to the case for the intermediacy of free radicals. In the case of Cl radical (or atom), only a minute steady-state concentration needs to be generated by the photochemical chain-initiating step CI2 + hv —> 2 Cl. Eree radicals are generally extremely reactive and shortlived, like Cl, rather than persistent, like Gomberg s triphenylmethyl... 

Free radical chain processes in ahphatic systems involving an electron-transfer reaction, 23, 271 Free Radicals 1900—2000, The Gomberg Century, 36, 1... 

Only a couple of weeks later, the first two of a large number of other researchers, J.F. Norris and W.W. Sanders, made their views on Gomberg s discovery public," and Gomberg soon found himself embroiled in a lively discussion of his proposal. Over a period of 15 years, he published some 30 papers in defense of the free radical concept, and in the end it prevailed. He has since been quoted as the discoverer of the first free radical in almost every textbook of organic chemistry and, in retrospect, one can see this discovery as one of the most important in 20th century chemistry, theoretically as well as practically. 

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