Physical Chemists

Fritz Haber was a German chemist who was honored with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry for inventing the Haber-Bosch process. The process is used widely to synthesize ammonia from hydrogen gas and nitrogen gas. For his pioneering work in weaponizing poisonous gases like chlorine during World War I, Haber is referred to as the father of chemical warfare.

Svante Arrhenius was a Swedish scientist who became the first Swedish person to win a Nobel Prize when he won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1903. Although he was originally a physicist, Arrhenius is widely accepted as a chemist and is best remembered for co-founding physical chemistry. Stockholm University houses the Arrhenius Labs, which is named in his honor.

Gilbert N. Lewis was an American physical chemist best remembered for his detection of the covalent bond. He made immense contributions to photochemistry, chemical thermodynamics, and isotope separation. Gilbert N. Lewis received 41 nominations for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, but never won the award. However, he influenced and mentored numerous Nobel laureates, including Harold Urey and William F. Giauque.

Ilya Prigogine was a physical chemist remembered for his work on irreversibility, complex systems, and dissipative structures. A respected member of several scientific organizations, Prigogine was honored with the Francqui Prize in 1955. In 1976, he won the Rumford Medal for his work concerning irreversible thermodynamics. His work on irreversible thermodynamics earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977.

Harold Urey was an American physical chemist best remembered for his pioneering work on isotopes. He is credited with the discovery of deuterium, for which he received the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934. Harold Urey also played a key role in the development of the infamous atom bomb.

Physicist Mihajlo Idvorski Pupin developed what is now known as pupinization, a mechanism which extended the range of long-distance telephonic communication with the use of loading coils. Born to illiterate parents, he was a Serbian immigrant in the U.S. and later wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, From Immigrant to Inventor.

Peter Debye was a Dutch-American physical chemist and physicist. He is best remembered for winning the 1936 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was also the recipient of the Rumford Medal, Franklin Medal, and Priestley Medal. In 1965, Peter Debye was honored with the National Medal of Science. In 1982, he was inducted into the Alpha Chi Sigma Hall of Fame.

Wilhelm Ostwald was a Baltic German philosopher and chemist who is credited with co-founding the field of physical chemistry. A polymath, Ostwald made significant contributions to philosophy, art, and politics, especially after his retirement from academic life. His contributions to the fields of reaction velocities, chemical equilibria, and catalysis earned him the 1909 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Walther Nernst was a German chemist best remembered for his work in physical chemistry, thermodynamics, solid state physics, and electrochemistry. He is credited with formulating the Nernst heat theorem, which was in turn used in the formulation of the third law of thermodynamics. Walther Nernst received the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry in the year 1920.

Willard Libby was an American physical chemist best remembered for his role in the development of radiocarbon dating in 1949. The process revolutionized palaeontology and archaeology. Libby's contributions during the development of this process earned him the 1960 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Willard Libby was also the recipient of the Elliott Cresson Medal, Willard Gibbs Award, and Albert Einstein Award.

Richard R. Ernst is a Swiss physical chemist whose work on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1991. Over the course of his career, Ernst has been honored with other awards, including the John Gamble Kirkwood Medal. In 2009, he became the subject of a documentary film titled Science Plus Dharma Equals Social Responsibility.

Danish physical chemist Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted is best known for his discovery of an acid-base concept that was similar to but independent of Thomas Martin Lowry’s research. He also taught at Yale and was later elected to the Danish Parliament. He was also nominated for the Nobel Prize 4 times.

Richard C. Tolman was an American physical chemist and mathematical physicist. He is best remembered for making immense contributions to statistical mechanics. Tolman also made significant contributions to theoretical cosmology. Richard C. Tolman is also remembered for his association with the California Institute of Technology, where he worked as a professor of mathematical physics and physical chemistry.

Known as the father of research laboratories, Indian physical chemist Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar was a BHU professor. An avid poet, he also penned the kulgeet of the university. He was the first chairman of UGC, headed CSIR, and played a key role in setting up many R&D labs in India.

Arnold Orville Beckman was an American inventor, chemist, philanthropist, and investor. He is credited with inventing the pH meter, which revolutionized the study of biology and chemistry. Based on this invention, Beckman later established a company named Beckman Instruments. Arnold Orville Beckman is also credited with inventing the DU spectrophotometer. In 1988, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology.

Nobel Prize-winning American chemist W.E. Moerner is best known for developing super-resolved fluorescence microscopy and for detecting a single molecule in condensed phases. He has been associated with prestigious institutes such as UC San Diego and Stanford University, and has also been a visiting professor at Harvard University.

Theodore William Richards was an American chemist. In 1914, he became the first scientist from the US to be honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Also an inventor, Richards is credited with inventing the nephelometer as well as the adiabatic calorimeter. Over the course of his career, Theodore William Richards won several prestigious awards, including the Willard Gibbs Award.

Kasimir Fajans was a physical chemist of Polish-Jewish origin. He was a pioneer in the science of radioactivity. He is credited with the discovery of the chemical element protactinium. He began his career working under physicist Ernest Rutherford. He later researched radioactivity and nuclear reactions. He became the head of the Institute of Physical Chemistry in 1932.  

Paul Walden was a chemist best remembered for his work in stereochemistry. He is credited with inventing the stereochemical reaction, which came to be known as Walden inversion. Over the course of his illustrious career, Paul Walden was honored with several prestigious awards, including the Gmelin-Beilstein Medal in 1954.

Carl Wagner was a German physical chemist best remembered for his pioneering work on materials chemistry. His work on counter diffusion of ions, defect chemistry, and oxidation rate theory led to a greater understanding of the reactions at the atomic level. Regarded as the father of solid state chemistry, Carl Wagner received several awards including the Willis R. Whitney Award.

Max Volmer was a German physical chemist best remembered for making prominent contributions in the field of electrochemistry. He is also remembered for co-developing the Butler–Volmer equation, one of the most basic relationships in electrochemical kinetics. Max Volmer also worked at the Humboldt University of Berlin as a professor.

Frederick Gardner Cottrell was an American inventor, physical chemist, and philanthropist. Cottrell is best remembered for inventing the electrostatic precipitator. He is also remembered for founding the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Frederick Gardner Cottrell won several prestigious awards, such as the Willard Gibbs Medal. In 1992, he was made an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. 

George Cowan was an American businessman, physical chemist, and philanthropist. He played an important role in the Manhattan Project, where his knowledge on nuclear physics and chemistry was considered invaluable. After the end of the war, George Cowan became a prominent member of a group, which would later found the Santa Fe Opera.

Saul Dushman was a Russian-American physical chemist best remembered for his work in General Electric Company, where he became part of the Research Laboratory in 1912. His main research interests were electromotive force, quantum mechanics, electron emission, atomic structure, high vacuum, and unimolecular force. Saul Dushman is also credited with authoring several science textbooks.