Ernst Otto Fischer
Encyclopedia
Ernst Otto Fischer was a German chemist who won the Nobel Prize for pioneering work in the area of organometallic chemistry
.
. His parents were Karl T. Fischer, Professor of Physics at the Technical University of Munich
(TU), and Valentine née Danzer. He graduated in 1937 with Abitur. Before the completion of two years' compulsory military service, the Second World War broke out, and he served in Poland, France, and Russia. During a period of study leave, towards the end of 1941 he began to study chemistry at the Technical University of Munich
. Following the end of the War, he was released by the Americans in the autumn of 1945 and resumed his studies, graduating in 1949.
in the Inorganic Chemistry
Institute, His thesis was entitled "The Mechanisms of Carbon Monoxide Reactions of Nickel(II) Salts in the Presence of Dithionites and Sulfoxylates". After receiving his doctorate in 1952, he continued his research on the organometallic chemistry
of the transition metal
and indicated with his lecturer thesis on "The Metal Complexes of Cyclopentadienes and Indenes". that the structure postulated by Pauson and Kealy might be wrong. Shortly after he published the structural data of ferrocene
, the sandwich structure of the η5 (pentahapto) compound. He was appointed a lecturer at the TU in 1955 and, in 1957, professor and then, in 1959, C4 professor. In 1964 he took the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at the TU.
In 1964, he was elected a member of the Mathematics/Natural Science section of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. In 1969 he was appointed a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists, Leopoldina
and in 1972 was given an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Munich.
He lectured across the world on metal complexes of cyclopentadienyl
, indenyl, arenes, olefins, and metal carbonyls. In the 1960s his group discovered a metal alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes, since referred to as Fischer carbenes and Fischer-carbyne
s. Overall he published about 450 journal articles and he trained many PhD and postdoctoral students, many of whom went on to noteworthy careers. Among his many foreign lectureships, he was Firestone Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
(1969), visiting professor at the University of Florida
(1971), and Arthur D. Little
visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(1973).
He has received many awards including, in 1973 with Geoffrey Wilkinson
, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
for his work on organometallic compounds.
. At the time of his death, Fischer was the oldest living German Nobel laureate. He was succeeded by Manfred Eigen
, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 and is nine years younger than Fischer was.
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...
.
Early life
He was born in Solln, near MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. His parents were Karl T. Fischer, Professor of Physics at the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
(TU), and Valentine née Danzer. He graduated in 1937 with Abitur. Before the completion of two years' compulsory military service, the Second World War broke out, and he served in Poland, France, and Russia. During a period of study leave, towards the end of 1941 he began to study chemistry at the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
. Following the end of the War, he was released by the Americans in the autumn of 1945 and resumed his studies, graduating in 1949.
Career
Fischer worked on his doctoral thesis as an assistant to Professor Walter HieberWalter Hieber
Walter Hieber was an inorganic chemist, known as the father of metal carbonyl chemistry. He was born 18 December, 1895 and died 29 November, 1976. Hieber's father was Johannes Hieber, an influential evangelical minister and politician....
in the Inorganic Chemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Inorganic chemistry is the branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds. This field covers all chemical compounds except the myriad organic compounds , which are the subjects of organic chemistry...
Institute, His thesis was entitled "The Mechanisms of Carbon Monoxide Reactions of Nickel(II) Salts in the Presence of Dithionites and Sulfoxylates". After receiving his doctorate in 1952, he continued his research on the organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry
Organometallic chemistry is the study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal. Since many compounds without such bonds are chemically similar, an alternative may be compounds containing metal-element bonds of a largely covalent character...
of the transition metal
Transition metal
The term transition metal has two possible meanings:*The IUPAC definition states that a transition metal is "an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell." Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition.*Some...
and indicated with his lecturer thesis on "The Metal Complexes of Cyclopentadienes and Indenes". that the structure postulated by Pauson and Kealy might be wrong. Shortly after he published the structural data of ferrocene
Ferrocene
Ferrocene is an organometallic compound with the formula Fe2. It is the prototypical metallocene, a type of organometallic chemical compound consisting of two cyclopentadienyl rings bound on opposite sides of a central metal atom. Such organometallic compounds are also known as sandwich compounds...
, the sandwich structure of the η5 (pentahapto) compound. He was appointed a lecturer at the TU in 1955 and, in 1957, professor and then, in 1959, C4 professor. In 1964 he took the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry at the TU.
In 1964, he was elected a member of the Mathematics/Natural Science section of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences. In 1969 he was appointed a member of the German Academy of Natural Scientists, Leopoldina
German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina
The Leopoldina is the national academy of Germany.Historically it was known under the German name Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina until 2007, when it was declared the national academy of Germany.The Leopoldina is currently located in Halle...
and in 1972 was given an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Munich.
He lectured across the world on metal complexes of cyclopentadienyl
Cyclopentadienyl
In organic chemistry, cyclopentadienyl is a cyclic group of atoms with the formula C5H5. Cyclopentadienyl are closely related to cyclopentadiene. Cyclopentadienyl have five carbon atoms bonded together in a pentagonal planar ring, all five of which are bonded to individual hydrogen atoms...
, indenyl, arenes, olefins, and metal carbonyls. In the 1960s his group discovered a metal alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes, since referred to as Fischer carbenes and Fischer-carbyne
Carbyne
In chemistry, a carbyne is a monovalent carbon radical species containing an electrically neutral univalent carbon atom with three non-bonded electrons.- Gas phase/reactive intermediate :...
s. Overall he published about 450 journal articles and he trained many PhD and postdoctoral students, many of whom went on to noteworthy careers. Among his many foreign lectureships, he was Firestone Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
(1969), visiting professor at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
(1971), and Arthur D. Little
Arthur D. Little
Arthur D. Little is an international management consulting firm originally headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and formally incorporated by that name in 1909 by Arthur Dehon Little, an MIT chemist who had discovered acetate. Arthur D. Little pioneered the concept of contracted...
visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(1973).
He has received many awards including, in 1973 with Geoffrey Wilkinson
Geoffrey Wilkinson
Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson FRS was a Nobel laureate English chemist who pioneered inorganic chemistry and homogeneous transition metal catalysis.-Biography:...
, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
for his work on organometallic compounds.
Death
He died on July 23, 2007 in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. At the time of his death, Fischer was the oldest living German Nobel laureate. He was succeeded by Manfred Eigen
Manfred Eigen
Manfred Eigen is a German biophysical chemist who won the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on measuring fast chemical reactions.-Career:...
, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1967 and is nine years younger than Fischer was.