Peter Wasserscheid
Encyclopedia
Peter Wasserscheid is a German chemist and professor
for chemical reaction engineering
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Together with Matthias Beller he won the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
in 2006.
from 1991 to 1995 before he did his doctorate
in the work group of Professor Wilhelm Keim
. After postdoctoral research at BP
in Great Britain
he habilitated at the RWTH Aachen
. Since Oktober 2003, Wasserscheid holds the chair of Chemical engineering
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Wasserscheid is also a founder member of the company Solvent Innovation GmbH and Scientific Supervisor in this company since 2001.
Wasserscheid is married and has 3 children.
s where he is a pionieer, particularly in the region of developing halogenfree ionic liquids.
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
for chemical reaction engineering
Chemical reaction engineering
Chemical reaction engineering is a specialty in chemical engineering or industrial chemistry dealing with chemical reactors. Frequently the term relates specifically to catalytic reaction systems where either a homogeneous or heterogeneous catalyst is present in the reactor...
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Together with Matthias Beller he won the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is a research prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft every year since 1985 to scientists working in Germany. This highest German research prize consists of a research grant of 2.5 million euro, to be used within seven years...
in 2006.
Personal background
Wasserscheid studied chemistry at the RWTH AachenRWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen University is a research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with roughly 33,000 students enrolled in 101 study programs....
from 1991 to 1995 before he did his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in the work group of Professor Wilhelm Keim
Wilhelm Keim
Wilhelm Keim is a German chemist and Professor Emeritus for Technical Chemistry and former director of the Institute for Technical and Petrol Chemistry at RWTH Aachen in Germany....
. After postdoctoral research at BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
he habilitated at the RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen
RWTH Aachen University is a research university located in Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany with roughly 33,000 students enrolled in 101 study programs....
. Since Oktober 2003, Wasserscheid holds the chair of Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg.
Wasserscheid is also a founder member of the company Solvent Innovation GmbH and Scientific Supervisor in this company since 2001.
Wasserscheid is married and has 3 children.
Work
The focus of Wasserscheids work is ionic liquidIonic liquid
An ionic liquid is a salt in the liquid state. In some contexts, the term has been restricted to salts whose melting point is below some arbitrary temperature, such as . While ordinary liquids such as water and gasoline are predominantly made of electrically neutral molecules, ILs are largely made...
s where he is a pionieer, particularly in the region of developing halogenfree ionic liquids.
Awards
- 1996: Friedrich-Wilhelm-Preis of the RWTH Aachen for the diploma thesis
- 1999: Borchers-Plakette of the RWTH Aachen for the dissertation
- 2000: Carl-Zerbe-Preis
- 2001: DECHEMA-Preis of the Max-Buchner-Forschungsstiftung
- 2003: Innovationspreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft
- 2006: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz PrizeGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz PrizeThe Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize is a research prize awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft every year since 1985 to scientists working in Germany. This highest German research prize consists of a research grant of 2.5 million euro, to be used within seven years...