Gilbert Newton Lewis Nanomole

I am a chemist in training. I would like to visit universities around the United States. If possible, I’d love to visit the Chemistry Building on each campus and learn about the science being done there.

I’d like to have my picture taken at each school and lab I visit.

Gilbert Newton Lewis (1875-1946) was an American chemist who helped to develop the Valence Bond Theory that is fundamental to the understanding of chemistry today. In addition he was instrumental in developing the field of thermodynamics that is useful in the description of the interactions of heat and energy with chemical systems. This allows the prediciton of how well reactions will proceed.

Students of chemistry in today's classes may remember him more for his acid/base theory. Following Arrhenius' definition (H+ & OH-) and then the Brönsted-Lowry definition (proton donor & proton acceptor) Lewis accounted for an even wider range of acids and bases by describing acids and bases as electron donors and electron acceptors respectively. This definition is used daily by organic chemists in designing the synthesis of complex molecules, perhaps most importantly in helping to create stereochemically pure molecules. An example of the importance of this is in pharmaceuticals. One example is the drug thalidomide. There are both right- and left-handed versions of this compound called enantiomers. (This link also contains information on other pharmaceuticals which are "single-handed.") One enantiomer of thalidomide is teratogenic meaning it caused terrible birth defects. The other was recently reapproved by the FDA in its pure "single-handed" form for the treatment of multiple myeloma among other things. (See here)

For a short biography of Lewis and other influential chemists you should check out the Chemical Heritage site.

To learn more about my mission, and meet my fellow junior chemists, see Avogadro's page. He's the one who gave my buddies and me our missions. Some day I hope to be a full grown mole like him!