Famous Chemists - List of Famous Chemists
Chemists are the scientists who specialize in the field of chemistry. They investigate the chemical nature of substances and how they behave under different conditions to search for new knowledge. Compounds, both organic and inorganic, are examined to determine their chemical and physical properties, composition, structure, and reactivity. Chemists try to decode the details of the chemical molecules and their component atoms. The knowledge gained through research is used to understand the composition and properties of unknown substances, and is used in practical applications in industries. Since chemicals play a vital role in virtually all types of industries, chemists are employed in various industrial establishments, especially those dealing in plastics, medicines, pharmaceuticals, and chemical industries. They also work in research and in university teaching positions. Newer discoveries and findings in the field of chemistry lead to the development of better products, processes and analytical methods. Chemistry is a vast field divided into several overlapping sub-branches: analytical chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, etc. Chemists primarily work in laboratories and use a variety of techniques in their research like spectroscopy, chromatography, and spectrophotometry. Read on to discover about the life and works of various famous chemists, through their biographies and timelines, from all over the world.
The Most Famous Chemists | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Birthday | Nationality | Bio |
| Henry Cavendish | October 10, 1731 | British | Henry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth |
| Walter Kohn | March 9, 1923 | Austrian | Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn was an Austrian-born American theoretical chemist and physicist |
| Jabir Ibn Hayyan | 721 | Iranian | Jabir Ibn Hayyan was a medieval era polymath |
| Stephanie Kwolek | July 31, 1923 | American | Stephanie Kwolek was an American chemist whose research work led to the development of the synthetic fiber, Kevlar |
| Amedeo Avogadro | August 9, 1776 | Italian | Amedeo Avogadro was an Italian scientist who formulated what is now known as Avogadro's law |
| Humphry Davy | December 17, 1778 | British | Sir Humphry Davy was a British chemist who made major contributions to the discoveries of chlorine and iodine |
| Willard Libby | December 17, 1908 | American | Willard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist who was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize’ in Chemistry in 1960 |
| Mario J. Molina | March 19, 1943 | Mexican | Mario Molina is a Nobel Prize winning chemist from Mexico who co-developed the theory of ozone depletion due to CFCs |
| Robert Bunsen | March 30, 1811 | German | Robert Bunsen was a German chemist who developed the Bunsen burner with Peter Desaga |
| Marie Curie | November 7, 1867 | Polish | Marie Curie was a Physicist and Chemist, who was world renowned for her work on radioactivity |
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley was a renowned English theologian, author, chemist and political theorist of the 18th century
Walter Kohn
Nobel Laureate Walter Kohn was an Austrian-born American theoretical chemist and physicist
John A Pople
John A Pople was an English theoretical chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1998
Richard E. Smalley
Richard Errette Smalley was a renowned American chemist who won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sir Harold W. Kroto
Sir Harold Walter Kroto was a Nobel Prize winning English chemist
Jens C Skou
Jens Christian Skou is a Danish scientist and doctor who won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Paul J. Crutzen
Paul Jozef Crutzen is a Dutch atmospheric chemist, well-known for his work on ozone depletion and global warming
Frank Sherwood Rowland
Frank Sherwood Rowland was an American chemist who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry