Francis Robert Japp
Encyclopedia
Francis Robert Japp was a British
chemist
who discovered the Japp-Klingemann reaction
in 1887.
He was born in Dundee, Scotland, the son of James Japp, a minister of the Catholic Apostolic Church. He graduated from St Andrews
with an M.A.
in 1868 and entered the University of Edinburgh
as a student of law. He left the university because of health problems and stayed in Germany for two years from 1871 until 1873. After returning to England he decided to study chemistry. He started his studies at the University of Heidelberg with Robert Bunsen
, where he received his Ph.D. in 1875.
He joined the laboratory of August Kekulé at the University of Bonn the following year and after returning to Scotland in 1878 worked with Alexander Crum Brown
at the University of Edinburgh. In 1881 Japp became assistant professor at the Royal School of Mines
and Normal School of Science South Kensington
and in 1890 Professor of Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen
. In 1885 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He retired in 1918. After the death of his only son in 1920 and an operation the following year, his health deteriorated. He lost his eyesight in his final years, and died in 1928.
Japp had married Elizabeth Tegetmeyer of Nordhausen, Germany, with whom he had one son and two daughters.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who discovered the Japp-Klingemann reaction
Japp-Klingemann reaction
The Japp-Klingemann reaction is a chemical reaction used to synthesize hydrazones from β-keto-acids and aryl diazonium salts. The Reaction is named after the chemists Francis Robert Japp and Felix Klingemann....
in 1887.
He was born in Dundee, Scotland, the son of James Japp, a minister of the Catholic Apostolic Church. He graduated from St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
with an M.A.
Master of Arts (Scotland)
A Master of Arts in Scotland can refer to an undergraduate academic degree in humanities and social sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland – the University of St Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen and the University of Edinburgh, while the University of...
in 1868 and entered the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
as a student of law. He left the university because of health problems and stayed in Germany for two years from 1871 until 1873. After returning to England he decided to study chemistry. He started his studies at the University of Heidelberg with Robert Bunsen
Robert Bunsen
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium and rubidium with Gustav Kirchhoff. Bunsen developed several gas-analytical methods, was a pioneer in photochemistry, and did early work in the field of organoarsenic...
, where he received his Ph.D. in 1875.
He joined the laboratory of August Kekulé at the University of Bonn the following year and after returning to Scotland in 1878 worked with Alexander Crum Brown
Alexander Crum Brown
Alexander Crum Brown FRSE FRS was a Scottish organic chemist.-Biography:Born in Edinburgh, the half-brother of the physician and essayist John Brown, he studied for five years at the Royal High School, succeeded by one year at Mill Hill School in London...
at the University of Edinburgh. In 1881 Japp became assistant professor at the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
and Normal School of Science South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
and in 1890 Professor of Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. In 1885 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
He retired in 1918. After the death of his only son in 1920 and an operation the following year, his health deteriorated. He lost his eyesight in his final years, and died in 1928.
Japp had married Elizabeth Tegetmeyer of Nordhausen, Germany, with whom he had one son and two daughters.