John A. Osborn

John A. Osborn (1939–2000) was an inorganic chemist who made many contributions to organometallic chemistry. Obsorn received his PhD under the mentorship of Geoffrey Wilkinson.^[1] During that degree Osborn contributed to the development of Wilkinson's catalyst.^[2] His thesis studies ranged widely.^[3]

In 1967, he took a faculty position at Harvard University. At Harvard, he supervised the PhD theses of Richard Schrock, John Shapley, and Jay Labinger. During this time, the chemistry of [M(diene)(PR₃)₂]⁺ was advanced (M = Rh, Ir), laying the foundation for many subsequent developments.^[4] In 1975, Osborn took a faculty position at the Université Louis-Pasteur in Strasbourg, France, where he further broadened his research.

^ Schrock, R. (2001). "In Memory of John Anthony Osborn". Adv. Synth. Catal. 343: 3–4. doi:10.1002/1615-4169(20010129)343:1<3::AID-ADSC3>3.0.CO;2-Q.
^ Osborn, J. A.; Jardine, F. H.; Young, J. F.; Wilkinson, G. (1966). "The Preparation and Properties of Tris(triphenylphosphine)halogenorhodium(I) and Some Reactions Thereof Including Catalytic Homogeneous Hydrogenation of Olefins and Acetylenes and Their Derivatives". J. Chem. Soc. A. 1966: 1711–1732. doi:10.1039/J19660001711.
^ Thomas, K.; Osborn, J. A.; Powell, A. R.; Wilkinson, G. (1968). "Preparation of Hydridopentammine- and Hydridoaquotetramminerhodium(III) Sulfates and Other Salts; the Formation of Alkyl and Fluoroalkyl derivatives". J. Chem. Soc. A: 1801–1806. doi:10.1039/j19680001801.
^ Osborn, J. A.; Schrock, R. R. (1971). "Coordinatively unsaturated cationic complexes of rhodium(I), iridium(I), palladium(II), and platinum(II). Generation, synthetic utility, and some catalytic studies". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 93 (12): 3089–3091. doi:10.1021/ja00741a069.

[1] Schrock, R. (2001). "In Memory of John Anthony Osborn". Adv. Synth. Catal. 343: 3–4. doi:10.1002/1615-4169(20010129)343:1<3::AID-ADSC3>3.0.CO;2-Q.

[Osborn-2] Osborn, J. A.; Jardine, F. H.; Young, J. F.; Wilkinson, G. (1966). "The Preparation and Properties of Tris(triphenylphosphine)halogenorhodium(I) and Some Reactions Thereof Including Catalytic Homogeneous Hydrogenation of Olefins and Acetylenes and Their Derivatives". J. Chem. Soc. A. 1966: 1711–1732. doi:10.1039/J19660001711.

[3] Thomas, K.; Osborn, J. A.; Powell, A. R.; Wilkinson, G. (1968). "Preparation of Hydridopentammine- and Hydridoaquotetramminerhodium(III) Sulfates and Other Salts; the Formation of Alkyl and Fluoroalkyl derivatives". J. Chem. Soc. A: 1801–1806. doi:10.1039/j19680001801.

[4] Osborn, J. A.; Schrock, R. R. (1971). "Coordinatively unsaturated cationic complexes of rhodium(I), iridium(I), palladium(II), and platinum(II). Generation, synthetic utility, and some catalytic studies". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 93 (12): 3089–3091. doi:10.1021/ja00741a069.

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