Werner Emmanuel Bachmann

Werner Emmanuel Bachmann (November 13, 1901 – March 22, 1951) was an American chemist. Bachmann was born in Detroit, Michigan where he studied chemistry and chemical engineering at Wayne State University and later at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor nearby. He completed his doctorate under Moses Gomberg and spent the rest of his academic career at the University of Michigan.

Bachmann studied physical organic chemistry (rearrangements, free radicals) and organic synthesis. He is considered a pioneer in steroid synthesis, and carried out the first total synthesis of a steroidal hormone, equilenin with Alfred L. Wilds.[1][2] His name is associated with the Gomberg-Bachmann reaction for the synthesis of diaryl compounds from aryl diazonium chlorides.[3]

Bachmann developed a new method for the production of the explosive Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), which was used by the United States during World War II.[4]