# Richard F. Heck

_American chemist (1931–2015)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/richard-f-heck
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Richard Frederick Heck (August 15, 1931 – October 9, 2015) was an American chemist noted for the discovery and development of the  Heck reaction, which uses palladium to catalyze organic chemical reactions that couple aryl halides with alkenes. The analgesic naproxen is an example of a compound that is prepared industrially using the Heck reaction.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 15 August 1931 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Springfield ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P19))
- **Died:** 9 October 2015 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P570))
- **Place of death:** Manila ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; researcher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P106))
- **Education:** University of California, Los Angeles; University of Delaware ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Glenn T. Seaborg Medal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471#P166))

## About

For his work in palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions and organic synthesis, Heck was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, shared with the Japanese chemists Ei-ichi Negishi and Akira Suzuki.

## Questions

**When was Richard F. Heck born?**  
Richard F. Heck was born on 15 August 1931 in Springfield.

**Where did Richard F. Heck study?**  
Richard F. Heck was educated at University of California, Los Angeles, University of Delaware.

## Related

- [Jan Koum](https://diginpl.com/people/jan-koum)
- [Joe Gebbia](https://diginpl.com/people/joe-gebbia)
- [Luke Nosek](https://diginpl.com/people/luke-nosek)
- [Miriam Adelson](https://diginpl.com/people/miriam-adelson)
- [Adam Riess](https://diginpl.com/people/adam-riess)
- [Alan J. Heeger](https://diginpl.com/people/alan-j-heeger)
- [Alfred G. Gilman](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-g-gilman)
- [Alfred Hershey](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-hershey)
- [Allan MacLeod Cormack](https://diginpl.com/people/allan-macleod-cormack)
- [Andrea M. Ghez](https://diginpl.com/people/andrea-m-ghez)
- [Andrew Fire](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-fire)
- [Andrew Schally](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-schally)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Richard F. Heck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Heck) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q106471](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106471) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Richard Fred Heck cropped.jpg by Richard_Fred_Heck_2.jpg : BloodIce derivative work: ukexpat ( talk ) (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Richard_Fred_Heck_cropped.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Richard F. Heck, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Richard Fred Heck cropped.jpg — Richard_Fred_Heck_2.jpg : BloodIce derivative work: ukexpat ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Richard F. Heck". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/richard-f-heck. Retrieved 6 November 2026.