Famous For: Famous For:: Marie Curie (1867-1934) Louis Pasteur (1822-1895)

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Chemistry is a study of reactions between chemicals and substances that most people

experience in their everday life. All of our medicines and household products are the
result of a history of chemical studies and discoveries. Below is a list of some of the most
important chemists of all time organized by the significance of their contributions to this
field.

Marie Curie (1867–1934) Louis Pasteur (1822–1895)


Famous For: Discovery of Radium and Polonium Famous For: The process of Pasteurization and creation of
Marie Curie received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911 for Vaccines for Rabies and Anthrax
her discovery of radium and polonium. She was able to isolate In addition to developing the process of Pasteurization, Louis
and study the compounds and nature of radium. Pasteur discovered the assymetrical molecular structure on
certain crytals. He made some of the earliest vaccines for
rabies and anthrax, and the reduction of a bacterial infection
in what is known as puerperal fever.

John Dalton (1766–1844) George Washington Carver (1864–1943)


Famous For: Identification and presenting the atomic theory Famous For: Promoting alternative crops to cotton, such as
Recognized for his work on the atomic theory and research peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes
on color blindness. He successfully identified chemical George Washington Carver found different crops to use
compounds and reactions affected by interaction of atoms instead of cotton. He used peanuts, soybeans, sweet
with one another. potatoes to keep the land productive. His intention was to
keep the poor farmers healthy and productive.

Michael Faraday (1791–1867) Alfred Nobel (1833–1896)


Famous For: His contributions in electrochemistry and Famous For: Inventing the dynamite
electromagnetism As the inventor of the dynamite, Alfred Nobel is seen as a
Faraday’s extensive work in the field of Chemistry includes chemist, innovator, engineer, and arms manufacturer. One of
the study chloring and carbon, both of which he discovered. his earliest inventions include the gas meter. At one time, he
In addition he made the earliest type of what we know today held nearly 350 patents on various items.
as the Bunsen burner. He was the first to identify would
known as nanoparticles in mettalic form.

Rosalind Franklin (1920–1958) Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794)


Famous For: Discovery of the DNA structure in genetics Famous For: Being the “Father of Modern Chemistry”
Rosalind Elsie Franklin and her contributions to science Lavoisier was able to show the relationship between oxygen
involve the study of the structures of coal, graphite, DNA, and metal, resulting in rust. He also was able to show the role
RNA, and viruses in understing their molecular structures. of oxygen in plant respiration and in animals. It was he who
showed that water was made of hydrogen and oxygen, and
that air was composed mainly of oxygen and nitrogen in its
gaseous state.

Robert Boyle (1627–1691) Linus Pauling (1901–1994)


Famous For: Being the first “Modern Chemist” Famous For: His work in molecular biology and quantum
Boyle was the one of the earliest men to apply the scientific chemistry
method in chemistry and physics. His book, The Sceptical A recipient of the Nobel Prize in the field of chemistry in 1954.
Chymyst, is considered a foundational source of literature on His work in the field of chemistry is chronicled in his book The
the field of chemistry. Nature of the Chemical Bond is believed as one of the most
foundational books on chemistry.

Dmitri Mendeleev (1834–1907) Joseph Priestley (1733–1804)


Famous For: Creating the table of elements used in chemistry Famous For: Inventing soda water
and physics As a chemist, Joesph Priestly has been credited with the
In addition to the creation of the periodic table, Mendeleev discovery of oxygen. He shares that distinction with Lavoisier
work on the spectroscope and the capillarity of liquids, both and Scheele. More importantly, we have Priestly to thank for
of which continue to be used to this day. Politics got in the “soda water”, which he invented.
way of Dmitri from receiving the Nobel Prize in 1906.

Mario Molina (1943) Humphry Davy (1778–1829)


Famous For: Discovered the ozone hole in the Antarctic Famous For: The discovery for earth based alkaline metals and
As one of three recipients of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in alkali
1995, Molina co-discovered the harm that Humphrey Davy’s contribution can be summarized in his
chlorofluorocarbons had on the ozone layer. discoveries on the nature of chlorine and iodine in its natural
state. In addition, people remember for his identifying earth
based alkaline metals and alkali itself.

Fritz Haber (1868-1934) Otto Hahn (1879–1968)


Famous For: Being the “Father of Chemical Warfare” and Famous For: Being the “Father of Nuclear Chemistry”
synthesizing ammonia used in fertilizers and explosives Hahn was one of the earliest men to work in the field of
Recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1918, Haber was responsible radiochemistry and radioactivity. During one of his
for the development of the synthesizing process of ammonia. experiments, he founded what is known as “Applied
He has been referred to at times as the “Father or Chemical Radiochemistry” which eventually led to nuclear chemistry.
Warfare” in which he developed chlorine and poisonous
gases during the Great War, WW I.

Svante Arrhenius (1859-1927) Ahmed Zewail (1946)


Famous For: Theory of the Greenhouse Effect and founder on Famous For: Being the “Father of Femtochemistry”
the science of Physical Chemistry Zewali was the first to delve into the field of
Arrhenius advanced the theory to help explain the “ice age” “femtochemistry”, which is studying chemical reactions
which resulted in what is known as the “greenhouse effect.” measured in femtoseconds (10 to -15 of a second). He
He also provided the Arrhenius equation which is a formula to received a Nobel Prize in 1995 for his advancement of the
calculate reaction rates when the temperature is raised on field of femtochemistry.
certain chemicals.
Frederick Sanger (1918) Stanislao Cannizzaro (1826-1910)
Famous For: Successful determination of base sequences in Famous For: The Cannizzaro reaction
nucleic acids Cannizzaro worked extensively on organic chemistry in
The research work undertaken by Frederick Sanger involved addition to his explanation which on how certain chemical
his successful sequencing of DNA, insulin, and RNA. He was reactions take place certain elements lact the hydrogen atom.
awarded the Nobel Prize two times, both for his work in This is named aptly as the Cannizaro reaction.
chemistry, in 1958 and in 1980. He was able to establish a
baseline in “the determination of base sequences in nuclein
acids.”

Thomas Graham (1805-1869)


Famous For: His work on the diffusion of gases and the
application of dialysis.
The discovery of Graham on the use of dialysis has its roots on
his study of colloids. He was able to separate crystalloids from
colloids using a dialyzer. His work on the diffusion of gases
has become to be known as Graham’s law.

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