Talk:Morris S. Kharasch

Peroxide effect should have dedicated page

The peroxide effect described in this bio should have its own page V8rik (talk) 18:40, 8 March 2010 (UTC)

First paragraph of "Peroxide effect" section needs to be revised

The first paragraph states "In 1869, a Russian chemist named Vladimir Markovnikov demonstrated that the addition of HBr to alkenes always resulted in a specific orientation", but the second paragraph states "...the anti-Markovnikov addition of HBr to allyl bromide to yield 1,3-dibromopropane was due to....", i.e. the addition of HBr to alkenes does not always result in the Markovnikov orientation, and the articles on Markovnikov and Markovnikov's rule confirm the second paragraph. Changing the first paragraph's "always" to "usually but not always" would make it correct and also align it with the second paragraph. I will do this unless someone objects or revises it first. Scutigera (talk) 15:55, 11 October 2013 (UTC)

Cause of Death?

Source 1 (National Academy of Science Memoir by Westheimer) states: "...on October 9, 1957, he died suddenly in Copenhagen, while carrying out an assignment for the United States government.".

Source 2 (Henry Gilman in J. Org. Chem. 1958; https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/jo01103a629) states: "During both World Wars he made notable contributions to the Chemical Warfare Services. Actually, at the time of his death in Copenhagen on October 9, 1957, he was actively assisting the Chemical Corps."

Sounds like there is an interesting story waiting to be unearthed here. Does anyone know what happened in Copenhagen in 1957...?Elhacat (talk) 17:34, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

One source (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/1958/PS/ps9580000329#!divAbstract) states: "He died in Copenhagen on October 9th, 1957 as the result of a heart attack." - But that is what they would state anyway, in case he had a freak accident while secretly studying some new Russian chemical weapon in Copenhagen, wouldn't they...?

And then, "The Times from Hammond, Indiana" (https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/55783479/) from Oct. 11, 1957 writes on page 9: "Kharasch, here as a tourist..." - so clearly a cover-up!Elhacat (talk) 18:29, 21 May 2020 (UTC)