Famous Chemists - List of Famous Chemists - page 12

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

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
Henry CavendishOctober 10, 1731BritishHenry Cavendish was a theoretical chemist and physicist, renowned for discovery of hydrogen and calculation of the mass of earth
Walter KohnMarch 9, 1923AustrianNobel Laureate Walter Kohn was an Austrian-born American theoretical chemist and physicist
Jabir Ibn Hayyan721IranianJabir Ibn Hayyan was a medieval era polymath
Stephanie KwolekJuly 31, 1923AmericanStephanie Kwolek was an American chemist whose research work led to the development of the synthetic fiber, Kevlar
Amedeo AvogadroAugust 9, 1776ItalianAmedeo Avogadro was an Italian scientist who formulated what is now known as Avogadro's law
Humphry DavyDecember 17, 1778BritishSir Humphry Davy was a British chemist who made major contributions to the discoveries of chlorine and iodine
Willard LibbyDecember 17, 1908AmericanWillard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist who was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize’ in Chemistry in 1960
Mario J. MolinaMarch 19, 1943MexicanMario Molina is a Nobel Prize winning chemist from Mexico who co-developed the theory of ozone depletion due to CFCs
Robert BunsenMarch 30, 1811GermanRobert Bunsen was a German chemist who developed the Bunsen burner with Peter Desaga
Marie CurieNovember 7, 1867PolishMarie Curie was a Physicist and Chemist, who was world renowned for her work on radioactivity
Chaim Weizmann

Chaim Weizmann

The famous scientist is known for his discovery of the industrial fermentation

BritishNovember 27, 1874162 views

Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar

Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar was an Indian scientist, famously dubbed as the ‘Father of research laboratories’

IndianFebruary 21, 1894103 views

Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday was the most celebrated British scientist of the 19th century

BritishSeptember 22, 1791155 views

John Cornforth

John Warcup Cornforth was an Australian-British chemist who won the 1975 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Ada Yonath

Ada Yonath is an Israeli scientist, who is known for her pioneering work on the structure and function of ribosome

IsraeliJune 22, 1939220 views

Dan Shechtman

Dan Shechtman is an Israeli scientist who was awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry

IsraeliJanuary 24, 1941140 views

Amedeo Avogadro

Amedeo Avogadro was an Italian scientist who formulated what is now known as Avogadro's law

ItalianAugust 9, 1776467 views

Robert Boyle

Robert Boyle was one of the founders of modern chemistry

IrishJanuary 25, 1627181 views

Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling was a scientist, chemist, bio-chemist and peace activist best known for his work in the field of ‘quantum chemistry’ and ‘molecular biology’

AmericanFebruary 28, 1901204 views

Albert Hofmann

Albert Hofmann was a Swiss scientist who synthesised LSD

SwissJanuary 11, 1906150 views