View source for Biography:Martin Gouterman

{{Short description|American chemist (1931–2020)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name              = Martin Gouterman
| birth_date        = December 26, 1931
| death_date        = {{Death date and age|2020|02|22|1931|12|26}}
| workplaces        = [[Organization:Harvard University|Harvard University]] <br> [[Organization:University of Washington|University of Washington]]
| alma_mater        = [[Organization:University of Chicago|University of Chicago]]
| thesis_title      = Study of the effects of substitution on the absorption spectra of porphyrins
| thesis_url        = http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/27127656
| thesis_year       = 1959
| doctoral_students = Roald Hoffman <br> Janet Kavandi <bR> [[Biography:Michael Zerner|Michael Zerner]]
| notable_students  = [[Biography:Loren Williams|Loren Williams]]
}}

'''Martin Paul Gouterman''' (December 26, 1931 – February 22, 2020) was an American chemist who was a professor of chemistry at the [[Organization:University of Washington|University of Washington]]. He is remembered for his seminal work on the optical spectra [[Biology:Porphyrin|porphyrins]], for which he developed a simple model generally referred to as Gouterman's four-orbital model.

== Early life and education ==
Gouterman was born in Philadelphia, the only child to Bernard and Melba Buxbaum Gouterman.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Martin Gouterman Obituary (1931 - 2020) - The Seattle Times|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/seattletimes/195689827|access-date=2021-01-07|website=www.legacy.com|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/4780430864|title=Martin Paul Gouterman|language=English|oclc=4780430864}}</ref> He attended Philadelphia Central High School and graduated in 1949. Gouterman was an undergraduate student at the [[Organization:University of Chicago|University of Chicago]], where originally he majored in piano performance but eventually studied physics. He stayed at Chicago for his doctoral research, where he started studying [[Biology:Porphyrin|porphyrin]]s.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Research and career ==
After graduating, Gouterman was appointed to the faculty at [[Organization:Harvard University|Harvard University]] where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher with [[Biography:William Moffitt|William Moffitt]]. Shortly after Gouterman arrived, Moffitt died of a heart attack during a squash game. Gouterman was quickly promoted to assistant professor, and spent his time using quantum chemical calculations to understand the photophysical properties of porphyrins.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Ghosh|first=Abhik|date=|title=Martin Gouterman: the gay man behind the four-orbital model|url=https://www.chemistryworld.com/culture/martin-gouterman-the-gay-man-behind-the-four-orbital-model/4012388.article|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-07|website=Chemistry World|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Ghosh|first=Abhik|title=An Exemplary Gay Scientist and Mentor: Martin Gouterman (1931–2020)|journal=Angewandte Chemie|year=2021|volume=133|issue=18|pages=9844–9854|language=en|doi=10.1002/ange.202012840|bibcode=2021AngCh.133.9844G |issn=1521-3757|doi-access=free}}</ref> He primarily made use of the Hückel molecular orbital method to interrogate their optical spectra. Gouterman's molecular models, which included symmetry arguments and configuration interactions, were able to predict the intensity differences between the absorption bands of porphyrins.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Porphyrin UV-Vis {{!}} VIPEr|url=https://www.ionicviper.org/five-slides-about/porphyrin-uv-vis|access-date=2021-01-07|website=www.ionicviper.org}}</ref> The so-called four-orbit model incorporates two, almost degenerate highest occupied molecular orbitals and two degenerate lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals. The [[Biology:Soret peak|Soret]] and Q-bands that are visible in porphyrin spectra are the result of transitions from between these four orbitals.<ref name=":2" /> 

Gouterman moved to the [[Organization:University of Washington|University of Washington]] in 1966, where he worked until his retirement.<ref name=":0" /> In Seattle, Gouterman continued to study the optical properties of porphyrins.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martin Gouterman - University of Washington Department of Chemistry|url=http://faculty.washington.edu/goutermn/|access-date=2021-01-07|website=faculty.washington.edu|archive-date=2020-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121172117/http://faculty.washington.edu/goutermn/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He described how the chemical structures of porphyrins determine whether the spectral shape was 'normal', ''hyper''- and ''hypso''-. For example, the UV-Visible absorption spectra of ''hyper'' porphyrins contain red-shifted peaks and extra bands due to ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transitions. Amongst the complicated structures analysed by Gouterman were cytochrome P450–carbon monoxide complexes, whose electronic spectra included a split Soret band due to LMCT transitions.<ref name=":2" />

== Awards and honors ==
* Elected Fellow of the [[Organization:American Physical Society|American Physical Society]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Fellow Archive|url=http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm|access-date=2021-01-07|website=www.aps.org|language=en}}</ref>
* [[Organization:University of Washington|University of Washington]] Minority Science and Engineering Program Faculty Excellence Award{{cn|date=January 2021}}
* Creativity Certificate Award, Porphyrin Chemistry Community{{cn|date=January 2021}}

== Selected publications ==
*{{Cite journal|last=Gouterman|first=Martin|date=1961-01-01|title=Spectra of porphyrins|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0022-2852%2861%2990236-3|journal=Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy|language=en|volume=6|pages=138–163|doi=10.1016/0022-2852(61)90236-3|bibcode=1961JMoSp...6..138G|issn=0022-2852}}
*{{Cite journal|last=Gouterman|first=Martin|date=1959-05-01|title=Study of the Effects of Substitution on the Absorption Spectra of Porphin|url=https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.1730148|journal=The Journal of Chemical Physics|volume=30|issue=5|pages=1139–1161|doi=10.1063/1.1730148|bibcode=1959JChPh..30.1139G|issn=0021-9606}}
*{{Cite journal|last1=Gouterman|first1=Martin|last2=Wagnière|first2=Georges H.|last3=Snyder|first3=Lawrence C.|date=1963-01-01|title=Spectra of porphyrins: Part II. Four orbital model|url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2F0022-2852%2863%2990011-0|journal=Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy|language=en|volume=11|issue=1|pages=108–127|doi=10.1016/0022-2852(63)90011-0|bibcode=1963JMoSp..11..108G|issn=0022-2852}}

== Personal life ==
Gouterman was a community organiser and activist. He campaigned to end the Vietnam War.<ref name=":2" /> 

In his early career Gouterman was not open about his sexuality. He came out as gay at around age 35 after he moved to Seattle. There he became an activist for gay rights<ref>{{Cite web|last=by|date=2020-08-18|title=In your heart, you know we're right|url=https://350seattle.org/heart-know-right/|access-date=2021-01-07|website=350 Seattle|language=en-US}}</ref> and co-founded the Dorian Society.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-02-17|title=Read4: Coming Out|url=https://gayseattlehistory.com/chapter-excerpts-to-read/read4-coming-out/|access-date=2021-01-07|website=Gay Seattle|language=en}}</ref> 

He also worked with the New Jewish Agenda and International Jewish Peace Union to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.<ref name=":3" />

In the early 1980s, Gouterman acted as a sperm donor and helped a lesbian couple have a son.Through mutual acquaintances, he discovered the identity of his son and thereafter enjoyed a close relationship with him.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />

In the last years of his life, Gouterman suffered from [[Medicine:Alzheimer's disease|Alzheimer's disease]].<ref name=":2" /> 

== References ==
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[[Category:Organic chemists]]

{{Sourceattribution|Martin Gouterman}}