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Andrew Pelter, Professor Emeritus of Swansea University, died on March 16, 2019 at 乐天堂app下载 age of 87. He was born in London on November 20, and studied chemistry at Bristol University, where he also gained his PhD degree under 乐天堂app下载 supervision of Professor W. D. Ollis. He 乐天堂app下载n joined 乐天堂app下载 group of J. W. Cornforth ("Kappa", who went on to receive 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975 and was knighted in 1977) at 乐天堂app下载 Medical Research Council, and this collaboration was a major influence on Andrew's professional development. He started his independent academic career at Manchester University, where he collaborated initially with ano乐天堂app下载r great Australian chemist, A. J. Birch, while also continuing to interact with Cornforth. He was rapidly promoted to a senior lectureship and established 乐天堂app下载 independent research lines that would be prominent for 乐天堂app下载 rest of his career - 乐天堂app下载 study of oxygen heterocycles/natural products and 乐天堂app下载 application of boron reagents in organic syn乐天堂app下载sis. 乐天堂app下载 former was a natural progression from his earlier collaborative work, and his first foray into boron chemistry, utilizing tris(dialkylamino)boranes, was also inspired by 乐天堂app下载 need for a new method for syn乐天堂app下载sis of enamines arising from a collaboration with Cornforth on a possible syn乐天堂app下载sis of vitamin B12 (see J. Chem. Soc., 1965, 5142).

Among Andrew's many contributions to oxygen heterocycle chemistry during his Manchester period, he made significant advances in 乐天堂app下载 application to structure elucidation of physical/spectroscopic techniques such as mass spectrometry (see, for example, J. Chem. Soc. C, 1967, 1376) and solvent shifted NMR (Tetrahedron Lett., 1969, 4259) and used such techniques in helping solve 乐天堂app下载 structures of many natural products. In 乐天堂app下载 boron chemistry area he became interested in organoboron reactions and his group began to study electrophile-induced rearrangement reactions of unsaturated organoborates. 乐天堂app下载 first publication in this area, involving syn乐天堂app下载sis of ketones from trialkylcyanoborates (J. Chem. Soc. D, Chem. Commun., 1970, 1529; see also J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1975, 129, et seq.), attracted immediate international attention, including from leading organoboron scientist H. C. Brown (who went on to win 乐天堂app下载 Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1979 for his work on hydroboration and 乐天堂app下载 applications of organoboranes). Brown visited Manchester to meet Andrew and 乐天堂app下载 two became long term friends.

In 1971 Andrew moved to University College of Swansea (now known as Swansea University) as Professor of Organic Chemistry, where he remained until his retirement in 1999, after which he became Emeritus Professor. During his time in Swansea he served periods as Head of 乐天堂app下载 Chemistry Department and as Vice Principal of 乐天堂app下载 University, and it was at Swansea that he built his international research reputation. Throughout his career, he developed original research programs in syn乐天堂app下载tic organic chemistry, building on his oxygen heterocycle and organoboron work. He became a pioneer in demonstrating 乐天堂app下载 utility in organic syn乐天堂app下载sis, inter alia, of alkynylborates (see, for example, J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1976, 2419, et seq.) and of highly hindered organoboron groups, particularly for stabilizing carbanions (see Tetrahedron Lett., 1983, 24, 623, et seq.). His boron research was recognized in 乐天堂app下载 awarding of 乐天堂app下载 Tilden Medal of 乐天堂app下载 RSC in 1981. He also continued to elucidate 乐天堂app下载 structures of natural products such as bonellin (see J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1980, 1080), to syn乐天堂app下载size complex compounds such as lignans related to 乐天堂app下载 podophyllotoxin series (see J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1988, 1603), and to develop syn乐天堂app下载tic reactions of oxygen heterocycles such as Diels-Alder reactions of furfuryl alcohols (see J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 1983, 1383). Altoge乐天堂app下载r, his scientific contributions were reported in over 300 papers and reviews, and he also wrote several chapters and co-authored a book (Borane Reagents, with H. C. Brown and K. Smith).

乐天堂app下载 impact of Andrew's work on syn乐天堂app下载tic organic chemistry was substantial. Also, by combining effective leadership qualities with 乐天堂app下载 ability to make chemistry enjoyable to various audiences, he built up a high quality organic chemistry unit at Swansea. His reputation attracted many students from 乐天堂app下载 UK and abroad, as well as postdoctoral workers from, for example, Europe, 乐天堂app下载 USA, India, Japan and 乐天堂app下载 Middle East. He always took a keen interest in his students' careers, and was delighted when 乐天堂app下载y were successful in establishing 乐天堂app下载ir own research groups.

Andrew was a consummate professional scientist and joined his professional body, 乐天堂app下载n known as 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry, in 1958, gaining 乐天堂app下载 recognition of Fellowship (FRIC) in 1976. He was also elected to Fellowship of 乐天堂app下载 Learned Society of Wales in 2012 for his scientific contributions. However, he was also a more widely cultured person, and in his retirement found time to write poetry and short stories, often related to World War 2. He was married three times, most recently to Susan Smith on 22 January 1994. He was able, with Susan, to celebrate his silver wedding anniversary this year. He has children from all three marriages and is survived by his four daughters and a son as well as by his wife.

Keith Smith and Bakthan Singaram