Turinese stereochemistry: Eligio Perucca's enantioselectivity and Primo Levi's asymmetry.
A reputation restored: Eligio Perucca (see photo) first observed the enantioselective adsorption of a racemic mixture to a chiral crystal (NaClO(3)) in Turin in 1919. However, this milestone in enantioselective chemistry and chiroptics went unnoticed. Identified previously as a coward who refused in 1941 to supervise the research of the budding stereochemist Primo Levi because of the race laws, Perucca was opposed to the fascist regime.
Kahr
Bart
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Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Box 351700, Seattle WA 98195-1700, USA. kahr@chem.washington.edu
Bing
Yonghong
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Kaminsky
Werner
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Viterbo
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