Robert Brattain
| R. Robert Brattain | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 21, 1911 |
| Died | November 17, 2002 (aged 91) U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Ross Robert Brattain |
| Alma mater |
Whitman College, University of Washington, Princeton University |
| Occupation | Physics |
| Employer | Shell Development Company |
| Known for | Spectrophotometry, Instrumentation |
| Relatives | Walter Houser Brattain (brother), Mari Brattain (sister) |
R. Robert Brattain (May 21, 1911 – November 17, 2002) was an American physicist at Shell Development Company. He was involved in a number of secret projects during World War II. He is recognized as one of America’s leading infrared spectroscopists for his work in designing several models of spectrophotometer, and for using the infrared spectrophotometer to determine the β-lactam structure of penicillin. His instrumentation work was essential to the subsequent study and understanding of structures in organic chemistry.
R. Robert Brattain was born May 21, 1911, to Ross R. Brattain and Ottilie Houser Brattain. Both parents were graduates of Whitman College; Ottilie Houser Brattain was a gifted mathematician. During much of Robert Brattain's childhood, the family lived on a cattle ranch near Tonasket, Washington.
Brattain attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, following his older brother, Walter Houser Brattain. He then completed a master's degree in physics at the University of Washington in 1933. He went on to attend Princeton University, studying physics. There he met John Bardeen, a frequent bridge and bowling partner. Robert Brattain introduced John Barden to his brother, Walter Brattain, with whom Bardeen would win a Nobel Prize.
Initially interested in mathematical physics, Robert Brattain soon became interested in experimental physics. After his advisor Edward Condon suggested that he assist R. Bowling Barnes, an expert in infrared spectrometry, Brattain became fascinated with infrared research and instrument design. Brattain, Barnes, and others in the laboratory built a research-quality infrared spectrophotometer, using a rock salt prism, a strip of platinum as an infrared radiation source, a thermopile to measure radiation, and two galvanometers to display results. They used the instrument to begin studying the molecular structure of organic molecules. After Barnes left Princeton for American Cyanamid, he directed funding to Brattain and others to study the infrared absorption spectra of organic compounds such as benzene, toluene, and naphthalene.
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