Huang Minlon
Encyclopedia
Huang Minglon (3 July 1898 - 1 July 1979), was a renowned Chinese
organic
chemist
and pharmaceutical
scientist
. Huang is considered as a pioneer and founder of modern pharmaceutical industries in China
.
in Yangzhou
, Jiangsu Province on 3 July 1898. In 1917, Huang graduated from Yangzhou Middle School. In 1918, Huang graduated from the Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine
(current Zhejiang University
School of Medicine).
In 1924, Huang obtained PhD
from the University of Berlin, Germany
.
In 1925, Huang went back to China and became a professor
and later department head at Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine.
During 1934-1940, Huang worked in research in Germany and the UK.
Huang came back to China in 1940 and became a senior researcher at Academia Sinica
. Huang was also a professor at the National Southwestern Associated University
(current Tsinghua University
, Peking University
and Nankai University
).
During 1945-1952, Huang was a visiting professor in USA (at Harvard University
). Huang also visited the Merck & Co.
.
In 1952, Huang came back to China. Huang served as the Head of Department of Chemistry, Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA
. Huang was also a senior researcher at the (Shanghai) Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
(SIOC, the most prestigious institute for organic chemistry research in China).
Huang is regarded as one of pioneers and founders of modern pharmaceutical industries in China. Huang was a senior academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1955 election). Huang was the Vice-president and later became the Honorary-president of the Chinese Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (aka Chinese Pharmaceutical Association).
Huang published more than 100 papers, in both English
and Chinese
.
It's a short-cut for the Wolff-Kishner reduction
and involves heating the carbonyl
compound, potassium hydroxide
, and hydrazine
hydrate together in ethylene glycol
in a one-pot reaction
. Huang devised this modified synthesis in 1945 while he was in the United States.
Please also see :de:Bild:tosylhydrazon.png, the shemetic indication of Huang Modification
In many sources, it's also mentioned such method as Wolff-Kishner-Huang Reduction (or Wolff-Kishner-Huang Minglon method/reaction/reduction), or in German Wolff-Kishner/Huang-Minlon Reduktion (or Wolff-Kishner-Huang-Minlon-Reduktion).
Please also check the German source: Variante nach Huang-Minlon
In some sources, people think Huang and Minlon are two different persons. It's in fact a mistake, Huang is his family name
and Minlon is his first name. Huang Minglon is the Wade-Giles
spelling, and Huang Minglong is its Pinyin
romanization
of the Chinese characters in his name.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
organic
Organic chemistry
Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives...
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...
and pharmaceutical
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
. Huang is considered as a pioneer and founder of modern pharmaceutical industries in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Life
Huang was born in late Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
in Yangzhou
Yangzhou
Yangzhou is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, it borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the southwest, Huai'an to the north, Yancheng to the northeast, Taizhou to the east, and Zhenjiang across...
, Jiangsu Province on 3 July 1898. In 1917, Huang graduated from Yangzhou Middle School. In 1918, Huang graduated from the Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine
Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine
Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine , was a defunct medical college for higher education in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China...
(current Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University
Zhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
School of Medicine).
In 1924, Huang obtained PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Berlin, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 1925, Huang went back to China and became a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and later department head at Zhejiang Provincial College of Medicine.
During 1934-1940, Huang worked in research in Germany and the UK.
Huang came back to China in 1940 and became a senior researcher at Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica
The Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. It supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences.Academia Sinica has...
. Huang was also a professor at the National Southwestern Associated University
National Southwestern Associated University
When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Peking University, Tsinghua University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming...
(current Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
, Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
and Nankai University
Nankai University
Nankai University , commonly known as Nankai, is a public research university based in Tianjin on mainland China. Founded in 1919 by educators Zhang Boling and Yan Fansun , Nankai University is a member of the Nankai serial schools. It is the alma mater of former Chinese Premier and key historical...
).
During 1945-1952, Huang was a visiting professor in USA (at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
). Huang also visited the Merck & Co.
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
.
In 1952, Huang came back to China. Huang served as the Head of Department of Chemistry, Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
. Huang was also a senior researcher at the (Shanghai) Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
(SIOC, the most prestigious institute for organic chemistry research in China).
Huang is regarded as one of pioneers and founders of modern pharmaceutical industries in China. Huang was a senior academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (1955 election). Huang was the Vice-president and later became the Honorary-president of the Chinese Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences (aka Chinese Pharmaceutical Association).
Huang published more than 100 papers, in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
.
Huang-Minlon modification
The Huang Modification or Huang-Minlon Modification is named after Huang Minglon. It was the first time that a Chinese name appeared in an organic chemical reaction.It's a short-cut for the Wolff-Kishner reduction
Wolff-Kishner reduction
The Wolff–Kishner reduction is a chemical reaction that fully reduces a ketone to an alkane.The method originally involved heating the hydrazine with sodium ethoxide in a sealed vessel at about 180 °C. Other bases have been found equally effective...
and involves heating the carbonyl
Carbonyl
In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O. It is common to several classes of organic compounds, as part of many larger functional groups....
compound, potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound with the formula KOH, commonly called caustic potash.Along with sodium hydroxide , this colorless solid is a prototypical strong base. It has many industrial and niche applications. Most applications exploit its reactivity toward acids and its corrosive...
, and hydrazine
Hydrazine
Hydrazine is an inorganic compound with the formula N2H4. It is a colourless flammable liquid with an ammonia-like odor. Hydrazine is highly toxic and dangerously unstable unless handled in solution. Approximately 260,000 tons are manufactured annually...
hydrate together in ethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol
Ethylene glycol is an organic compound widely used as an automotive antifreeze and a precursor to polymers. In its pure form, it is an odorless, colorless, syrupy, sweet-tasting liquid...
in a one-pot reaction
One-pot synthesis
In chemistry a one-pot synthesis is a strategy to improve the efficiency of a chemical reaction whereby a reactant is subjected to successive chemical reactions in just one reactor...
. Huang devised this modified synthesis in 1945 while he was in the United States.
Please also see :de:Bild:tosylhydrazon.png, the shemetic indication of Huang Modification
In many sources, it's also mentioned such method as Wolff-Kishner-Huang Reduction (or Wolff-Kishner-Huang Minglon method/reaction/reduction), or in German Wolff-Kishner/Huang-Minlon Reduktion (or Wolff-Kishner-Huang-Minlon-Reduktion).
Please also check the German source: Variante nach Huang-Minlon
In some sources, people think Huang and Minlon are two different persons. It's in fact a mistake, Huang is his family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
and Minlon is his first name. Huang Minglon is the Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
spelling, and Huang Minglong is its Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
of the Chinese characters in his name.
See also
- Zhejiang Provincial College of MedicineZhejiang Provincial College of MedicineZhejiang Provincial College of Medicine , was a defunct medical college for higher education in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China...
- Zhejiang Medical UniversityZhejiang Medical UniversityThe Zhejiang Medical University , was a defunct university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China...
- Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang UniversityZhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest institutions of higher education...
- Wolff-Kishner reductionWolff-Kishner reductionThe Wolff–Kishner reduction is a chemical reaction that fully reduces a ketone to an alkane.The method originally involved heating the hydrazine with sodium ethoxide in a sealed vessel at about 180 °C. Other bases have been found equally effective...
External links
- Huang Lonmin's CV, including his photo and publications
- Memorial website for Huang Minglon
- Huang Minglon's short biography at Baidu.com
- Wolff-Kishner reduction - Huang-Minlon modification
- The Huang - Minlon Modification of Wolff - Kishner Reduction in Rapid and Simple Way Using Microwave Technology
- 中国人民解放军军事医学科学院 (Academy of Military Medical Sciences of PLA)
- 浙江大学医学院 (Zhejiang University School of Medicine)
- 中国科学院上海有机化学所 (Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
- 中国药学会 (Chinese Pharmaceutical Association)