Prelog

Prelog is a surname most commonly associated with Vladimir Prelog (1906–1998), a Croatian-Swiss chemist whose work helped establish the modern framework of stereochemistry. While the name may refer to other individuals of Croatian origin, it is Vladimir Prelog who is most closely linked to the term in organic chemistry.

Vladimir Prelog studied at the University of Zagreb and later worked in Switzerland, where he became a prominent figure in the field of organic chemistry and reaction mechanisms. His research focused on the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in molecules and how this arrangement influences chemical behavior and outcomes.

One of Prelog’s most lasting legacies is the Cahn–Ingold–Prelog priority rules, developed in collaboration with Robert S. Cahn and Christopher K. Ingold. These rules provide a standardized method for assigning priorities to substituents around stereogenic centers, enabling the determination of absolute configuration as R or S. The CIP system is essential for naming chiral molecules, predicting reaction outcomes, and interpreting spectroscopic data, and it remains a core tool in chemistry education and research.

Vladimir Prelog was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1975 for his investigations into the stereochemistry of organic compounds and the mechanisms of their reactions. His contributions advanced understanding of chirality, enantioselectivity, and the design of asymmetric syntheses, influencing both theoretical and practical aspects of modern chemistry. The CIP rules and the broader framework he helped establish continue to shape how chemists analyze and communicate molecular structure.