Famous Chemists - List of Famous Chemists - page 3

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
Kenichi Fukui

Kenichi Fukui

Kenichi Fukui was a Japanese theoretical chemist

JapaneseOctober 4, 1918226 views

Dudley R. Herschbach

Dudley Robert Herschbach is an American chemist and educator who won the prestigious Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1986

AmericanJune 18, 1932100 views

Henry Taube

Henry Taube was a Canadian-born American chemist who received the 1983 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

CanadianNovember 30, 1915161 views

Roald Hoffmann

Roald Hoffmann is an American theoretical chemist who was the joint recipient of the 1981 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

AmericanJuly 18, 193774 views

Robert Bruce Merrifield

Robert Bruce Merrifield was an American biochemist who won the 1984 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

AmericanJuly 15, 1921140 views

Herbert C. Brown

Herbert C

AmericanMay 22, 1912176 views

Robert Burns Woodward

Robert Burns Woodward was a Nobel Prize winning American chemist known for his work on complex natural products

AmericanApril 10, 1917105 views

Thomas Cech

Thomas Robert Cech is an American chemist who was jointly awarded the ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry’ in 1989

Elias James Corey

Elias James Corey is a distinguished American organic chemist who was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry’ in 1990.

AmericanJuly 12, 1928183 views

Peter Mitchell

Peter Mitchell was a British chemist who won the 1978 Nobel Prize for Chemistry

BritishSeptember 22, 1920129 views