Oktay Sinanoglu: Unraveling the Mysteries of Quantum Chemistry

Oktay Sinanoglu (25 February 1935 – 19 April 2015) was a Turkish physical chemist and molecular biophysicist.

Life and Career

He was born on 25 February 1935, in Bari, Italy. In 1953 he moved to the US to study at the University of California, Berkeley. He got a BSc degree in 1956. In 1957, he finished his MSc at MIT and was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship.

In 1961, he earned his Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied under Nobel laureate Melvin Calvin. Later, he worked at IBM and the University of Chicago as a research scientist. He was also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was also a vocal critic of pseudoscience and was known for his strong views on the subject. He died on 19 April 2015, in Miami, Florida, United States.

Major Work

He is best known for his contributions to the field of molecular orbital theory, which describes the behavior of electrons in molecules. He developed a mathematical method called the “Sinanoglu-Soler method” that made it possible to calculate the electronic structure of complex molecules. In addition to his scientific contributions, he was a strong advocate for science education and worked to improve the quality of science education in Turkey.

Award and Legacy

In 1993, he was awarded the National Medal of Science, which is the highest scientific honor bestowed by the US government.

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