R. B. Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry

ACS

Chemistry for Life

National Historic Chemical Landmark

R. B. Wetherill Laboratory

of Chemistry

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

 

The R. B. Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry at Purdue

University has served as a center for chemical education

and research in the United States for more than 80 years.

Named after local physician and lecturer Dr. Richard 

Benbridge Wetherill, the building was constructed in 

phases between 1928 and 1955 to accommodate a 

growing Department of Chemistry. Generations of 

chemists and chemical engineers have studied in this

building under renowned faculty, among them winners

of Nobel Prizes in Chemistry Herbert C. Brown (1979)

and Ei-ichi Negishi (2010). Advances made here include 

developments in vapor-phase nitration of saturated 

hydrocarbons, palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling,

tandem mass spectrometry, and the discovery of

hydroboration and its application to numerous synthetic

pathways. This work has provided versatile techniques

for the creation of pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals,

nitroparaffin-based explosives, and other products.

American Chemical Society                       April 26, 2013

• wetherill
• chemistry laboratory
• purdue university
• west lafayette
• indiana
• nobel prize
• herbert c. brown
• ei-ichi negishi
• richard benbridge wetherill