Archer Martin

Archer John Porter Martin Nobel

Archer John Porter Martin (1 March 1910 – 28 July 2002) was a British chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1952 for his development of partition chromatography, a technique that has had a significant impact on the field of analytical chemistry.

Early Life and Education

Archer Martin was born in London, England. He attended Bedford School and later studied at Cambridge University, where he earned his degree in biochemistry.

Career and Research

Martin began his career at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, where he worked on the separation of amino acids. It was here that he developed the technique of partition chromatography along with his colleague Richard Synge. This method allowed for the separation of complex mixtures of substances and has been widely used in biochemistry and pharmacology.

In 1948, Martin moved to the Lister Institute of Preventive Medicine, where he continued his research on chromatography. He later joined the Boots Pure Drug Company in Nottingham, where he worked on the development of new chromatographic techniques.

Nobel Prize

In 1952, Martin and Synge were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their invention of partition chromatography. This technique has since become a fundamental tool in the analysis of biological and chemical substances.

Later Life and Legacy

Martin's work has had a lasting impact on the field of analytical chemistry. His development of partition chromatography paved the way for the creation of other chromatographic techniques, such as gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Archer Martin passed away on 28 July 2002. His contributions to science continue to be recognized and celebrated.

See Also

• Partition chromatography
• Richard Synge
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry
• Analytical chemistry
• Gas chromatography
• High-performance liquid chromatography