Paul Pfeiffer (chemist)
Encyclopedia
Paul Pfeiffer was an influential German chemist. He received his Ph.D. under Alfred Werner
, the "father of coordination chemistry," at the University of Zurich
. His thesis, submitted in 1898, dealt with adducts of tin
halides.
Pfeiffer was considered Werner's most successful student and became Werner's assistant until, due to a dispute with his mentor, he left first for Rostock, then Karlsruhe, and finally Bonn. At Bonn, where he had studied as an undergraduate, he occupied Kekulé
's chair.
Pfeiffer's work spanned many themes. The Pfeiffer effect
, which involves interactions between chiral solutes, is named after his discoveries. His group first made the salen ligand
s, which gave the first artificial oxygen carriers. He recognized that crystals, e.g. of zinc sulfide
, are large molecules.
Alfred Werner
Alfred Werner was a Swiss chemist who was a student at ETH Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for proposing the octahedral configuration of transition metal complexes. Werner developed the basis for modern coordination chemistry...
, the "father of coordination chemistry," at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
. His thesis, submitted in 1898, dealt with adducts of tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
halides.
Pfeiffer was considered Werner's most successful student and became Werner's assistant until, due to a dispute with his mentor, he left first for Rostock, then Karlsruhe, and finally Bonn. At Bonn, where he had studied as an undergraduate, he occupied Kekulé
Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz
Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz was a German organic chemist. From the 1850s until his death, Kekule was one of the most prominent chemists in Europe, especially in theoretical chemistry...
's chair.
Pfeiffer's work spanned many themes. The Pfeiffer effect
Pfeiffer Effect
The Pfeiffer Effect is an optical phenomenon whereby the presence of an optically active compound influences the optical rotation of a racemic mixture of a second compound....
, which involves interactions between chiral solutes, is named after his discoveries. His group first made the salen ligand
Salen ligand
Salen is the abbreviation for a popular chelating ligand used in coordination chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. The name salen is a contraction for salicylaldehyde and ethylenediamine. The ligand is a bright yellow micaceous solid that is soluble in polar organic solvents.-Nomenclature:The...
s, which gave the first artificial oxygen carriers. He recognized that crystals, e.g. of zinc sulfide
Zinc sulfide
Zinc sulfide is a inorganic compound with the formula ZnS. ZnS is the main form of zinc in nature, where it mainly occurs as the mineral sphalerite...
, are large molecules.