从化学键的本质到生命的本原——鲍林与20世纪化学的两次跨学科综合

From the Nature of Chemical Bonds to the Origin of Life:Linus Pauling and Two Cross-disciplinary Synthesis of the Twentieth Century Chemistry

20世纪的化学在高度分化和专业化的同时,完成了两次重要的跨学科综合。在上半个世纪,化学吸收物理学革命的成果,衍生出量子化学和现代结构化学,在电子层面回答了基本物质以何种方式结合的学科基本问题;下半个世纪,化学应用于生物学,分子生物学发展起来,生命现象得以在分子层面得到说明。而莱纳斯·鲍林这位20世纪最杰出的化学家以一己之力直接参与并实际引领了这两次理论变革。本文考察了鲍林在化学键理论、早期分子生物学以及分子医学方面的工作,以此追溯和分析了暗含于两次基础学科综合的基本概念转折和方法论特征。

Twentieth-century chemistry has accomplished two cross-disciplinary syntheses in despite of its unprecedentedly fast ramification and specialization.In the first half of the century,chemistry absorbed the achievement of the revolution in physics.New-born quantum chemistry and modern structural chemistry addressed the questions as to the exact way of combination among elemental matters at the level of electrons.In the second half of the century,chemistry was applied to biology,and molecular biology has developed.The phenomena of life can therefore be explained in terms of the delicate structures of molecules.Linus Pauling(1901-1994),the presumably most eminent chemist of the twentieth century,took active part in and essential lead on both of the theoretical upheavals.This study explores Pauling’s work on chemical bonds,early molecular biology and molecular medicine.By doing this,it examines some of the fundamental conceptual transformations and methodological features of the two cross-disciplinary syntheses.