Famous Physical Chemists - List of Famous Physical Chemists
Physical chemists study the physical properties and chemical compositions of substances, and analyze why certain materials react or behave the way they do. Physical chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the physical structure of chemical compounds and they way they react when they come in contact with other compounds, the energy they possess and the bonds that hold their atoms together. It is a macroscopic or supra-molecular science that uses the principles and concepts of physics to understand chemical systems. Physical chemists work at the atomic and molecular level of materials—solid, liquid or gas—to discover and understand their fundamental characteristics. They basically work in laboratories, and work with sophisticated equipment, complex instruments and state-of-the-art computers to analyze various materials and develop theories. The results of such research are used to discover new uses for materials in industry-specific applications. Physical chemists work in government agencies, academics, plastic industry, pharmaceuticals, research institutions, etc. The field of physical chemistry is an interdisciplinary one; nanoscale science, analytical chemistry, and molecular modeling are related areas. Read on to browse through a list of world famous physical chemists and read their biographies and timelines.
The Most Famous Physical Chemists | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Birthday | Nationality | Bio |
| Willard Libby | December 17, 1908 | American | Willard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist who was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize’ in Chemistry in 1960 |
| Richard R. Ernst | August 14, 1933 | Swiss | Richard Robert Ernst is a Swiss chemist, researcher and teacher who won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991 |
| Svante Arrhenius | February 19, 1859 | Swedish | Svante Arrhenius was a renowned Swedish scientist who is regarded as father of modern day physical chemistry |
| Peter Debye | March 24, 1884 | American | Peter Debye a Nobel Prize winning chemist of Dutch origin who developed the ‘Debye Model’ |
| Arnold Orville Beckman | April 10, 1900 | American | Arnold Orville Beckman was a renowned inventor and chemist who invented the world’s first pH meter and spectrometer |
| Ilya Prigogine | January 25, 1917 | Belgian | Ilya Prigogine was a Russian-born Belgian physical chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1977 |
| Wilhelm Ostwald | September 2, 1853 | German | Wilhelm Ostwald was a famous scientist who is credited with discovery of Ostwald Process for manufacture of nitric acid |
| Max Volmer | May 3, 1885 | German | Max Volmer was a German physical chemist who is known for his important contributions to the field of electrochemistry |
| Walther Nernst | June 25, 1864 | German | Walther Hermann Nernst was a German scientist who won the 1920 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contribution to the field of thermochemistry. |
| Paul Walden | July 26, 1863 | German, Latvian | Paul Walden was a Latvian-German chemist who is known for his path-breaking invention known as Walden inversion |
Jerome Karle
Jerome Karle was an American physical chemist and crystallographer who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1985
Ilya Prigogine
Ilya Prigogine was a Russian-born Belgian physical chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1977
Gerhard Herzberg
Gerhard Herzberg was a Germany-born Canadian physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971
Willard Libby
Willard Frank Libby was an American physical chemist who was awarded the ‘Nobel Prize’ in Chemistry in 1960
Richard R. Ernst
Richard Robert Ernst is a Swiss chemist, researcher and teacher who won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991
Theodore William Richards
Theodore William Richards was an American scientist who was awarded the 1914 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Max Volmer
Max Volmer was a German physical chemist who is known for his important contributions to the field of electrochemistry
Walther Nernst
Walther Hermann Nernst was a German scientist who won the 1920 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contribution to the field of thermochemistry.
Frederick Soddy
Frederick Soddy was a British radiochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921
Fritz Haber
Fritz Haber was a German chemist who won the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the synthesis of ammonia from its elements