The role of physical instrumentation in structural organic chemistry

During the twentieth century, many changes have taken place in the organic chemist’s laboratory, but none greater than the introduction of electronic instrumentation. The widespread adoption of instrumental methods has led to tremendous advances in the determination of complex struc­ tures. Between 1940 and 1970, structural studies were reduced from being life-long Nobel Prize-winning activities for leading professors to a day’s work for graduate students and technicians. Doubtlessly, this shift has transformed the chemist’s work and the nature of different jobs within chemical laboratories. Some organic chem­ ists found more time to work on organic synthesis, others transferred their atten­ tion to biomolecular topics, and yet others were forced to find alternative careers outside chemistry. Even a leading pioneer of the new methods, Carl Djerassi, found reason to regret the passing of the former intellectual and creative challenge of structure determination: But if eliminating the need for ‘wet chemistry’ (the laboratory equivalent of ‘Twenty Questions’) saves a lot of time and material, it also makes structure elucidation a more mechanical endeavor. Ironically, much of our own research into better flashlights [physi­ cal instrumentation] has made obsolete the traditional and often intellectually exciting ways of exploring dark rooms [organic chemical structures].1