Prvi hrvatski nobelovac

Lavoslav Ružička

O Lavoslavu Ružički

Lavoslav Ružička rođen je u Vukovaru 13. rujna 1887. godine. U razdoblju od 1906. do 1910. studirao je kemiju na Visokoj tehničkoj školi u Karlsruheu u Njemačkoj, gdje je stekao zvanje dr. pod nadzorom profesora Staudingera, osnivača makromolekularnih znanosti. Kao asistent profesora Staudingera do 1916. radio je na istraživanju structure aktivnih komponenata biljke dalmatinskog buhača. Posebno se interesirao za kemiju terpena i istraživanja sinteze mirisa.

U tom razdoblju Ružička je dokazao da su mošusni mirisi, muskon I cibeton, makrociklički ketoni, što je omogućilo sintetsku proizvodnju skupocjenih mošusnih mirisa i povezalo ga s farmaceutskom industrijom. Jedno vrijeme živi u Ženevi, a u razdoblju od 1927. do 1929. radi kao profesor organske kemije u Utrechtu. Povratak u Zürich 1929. početak je najuspješnijeg dijela njegove karijere.

Godine 1934. Ružička je izazvao veliku pozornost kada je objavio djelomičnu sintezu muškog spolnog hormona androsterona, a već sljedeće godine i testosterona. Radovi na spolnim hormonima i steroidima učvrstili su Ružičkin znanstveni ugled te je 1939. dobio Nobelovu nagradu za kemiju za rad na polimetilenima i višim terpenima.

Zbog početka II. svjetskog rata nagrada mu je predana na ETH.

Sa suradnicima je objavio čak 583 znanstvena rada i to većinom u razdoblju između 1930. i 1950. Dodijeljeno mu je 13 različitih medalja i nagrada. Iako je primio švicarsko državljanstvo, Hrvatsku je smatrao svojom domovinom te je pomogao brojnim hrvat­skim kemičarima. Lavoslav Ružička umro je 26. rujna 1976. u Mammernu na Boden­skom jezeru u 89. godini života, a pokopan je u Zürichu.

Lavoslav Ružička was born in Vukovar on September 13th, 1887. From 1906 to 1910, he studied chemistry at the Technical High School in Karlsruhe, Germany, where he earned a doctorate under the supervision of Professor Staudinger, the founder of macromolecu­lar sciences. Until 1916, as an assistant to Professor Staudinger, he worked on research­ing the structure of the active components of the Dalmatian pyrethrum plant. He was particularly interested in terpene chemistry and odor synthesis research.

During this period, Ružička proved that musk fragrances, male and cibeton, are macro­cyclic ketones, which enabled the synthetic production of precious musk fragrances and connected it with the pharmaceutical industry. He lived for a while in Geneva, and from 1927 to 1929 worked as a professor of organic chemistry in Utrecht. Returning to Zurich in 1929 was the beginning of the most successful part of his career. In 1934, Ružička caused a great deal of attention when he published a partial synthesis of the male sex hormone androsterone, and the following year testosterone. Work on sex hormones and steroids strengthened Ružička’s scientific reputation, and in 1939 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on Polymethylenes and higher terpenes. Due to the beginning of II. World War II, the award was presented to him at ETH.

He and his collaborators published 583 scientific papers, mostly in the period 1930–1950. During his scientific work he was awarded 13 different medals and awards. Although he received Swiss citizenship, he considered Croatia his homeland and helped many Croatian chemists. Lavoslav Ružička died on September 26, 1976 in Mammern on Lake Constance, at the age of 89, and was buried in Zurich.