Hans Freeman

Hans Charles Freeman AM, FAA (26 May 1929 – 9 November 2008) was a German-born Australian bioinorganic chemist, protein crystallographer, and professor of inorganic chemistry who spent most of his academic career at the University of Sydney.

[2] His best known contributions to chemistry were his work explaining the unusual structural, electrochemical, and spectroscopic properties of blue copper proteins, particularly plastocyanin.

[3] He also introduced protein crystallography to Australia[4] and was a strong advocate for courses to ensure Australian scientists have good access to "big science" facilities.

Karl brought his knowledge of detergents (a novelty in Australia at the time) to his new homeland, applying it to the problem of cleaning blood-stained blankets that would otherwise be wasted.

[5] After the war, he founded K. H. Freeman Pty Ltd, a detergent and soap manufacturing company; Hans spent many weekends working in the factory, gaining a practical insight into chemistry.

[5] After receiving his MSc in 1952 under the supervision of Raymond Le Fèvre FRS, Freeman attended Caltech on a Rotary Foundation Fellowship where, at the urging of Linus Pauling, he learned the fundamentals of crystallography.

[3] Later in his career, Freeman developed an interest in the applications of EXAFS spectroscopy to metalloprotein structure, collaborating with both James Penner-Hahn[17][18] and Keith Hodgson.

[5] Working together, the Freeman and Hodgson groups were, in 1988, the first to determine a new crystal structure of a protein using the multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) method.

For this reason, in 1972 Freeman and Alexander Boden AO, FAA, founded the Foundation for Inorganic Chemistry at the university to bring international scholars to the department to deliver a course for graduate students and give seminars for faculty.

[2] Working as a crystallographer, Freeman's major legacies are the understanding of plastocyanin and other blue copper proteins, and development of the MAD method as an extension of EXAFS spectroscopy.

Freeman's work in ensuring Australian scientists have access to "big science" facilities will continue to assist researchers into the future.