The Life and Achievements of Arthur John Birch

Arthur John Birch was an Australian organic chemist.

The Birch reduction is a chemical reaction that involves the treatment of aromatic rings with lithium metal and ammonia.

The Birch reduction is widely used in synthetic organic chemistry and allows for the modification of steroids and the development of other steroid drugs and antibiotics.

<p>Birch published the first total synthesis of a male sex hormone, 19-nortestosterone, which later became the first member of a new structural series that included the first oral contraceptive pill.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Birch received a scholarship to attend the University of Sydney and later traveled to the University of Oxford to complete his D.Phil.</p> Signup and view all the answers