In Memoriam: The Life and Scientific Accomplishments of Frank A. L. Anet (1926–2024)

Abstract

A memorial tribute detailing the life and scientific accomplishments of Frank A. L. Anet, a pioneer of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy who discovered bedrock principles in organic chemistry and magnetic resonance. He was the first to show that nuclear Overhauser effects could provide structural information, significantly impacting future NMR applications. In the 1960s and 1970s, he built entire multinuclear NMR spectrometers operating as high as 396 MHz for protons, detecting nuclei inaccessible to commercial instruments, and operating at very low temperatures for studying molecular structure and dynamics. A titan of physical organic chemistry, Frank made important contributions in the areas of conformational analysis, stereochemistry, isotope effects, NMR relaxation theory, and chemical origins of life.