I remember from graduate school that many of the prospective students wanted to join a particular lab becuase the professor had a catalyst named after him. Could you imagine not only have a constant named after you, an equation, but also an entire principle? The first winner of the Chemistry Nobel Prize did!
Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff was that man. Van't Hoff was interested in both Chemistry and Physics, so of course, he chose to delve deeper into Physical Chemistry. His particular focus was on the rates of chemical reactions and how certain reactions go at various rates. He developed the equation to mathematically provide the rate of reaction determined by dynamic equilibrium concepts, law of mass action, and the equilibrium constant.
His most notable contribution to the field and the one that many many recognize his name is to the van't Hoff-Le Chatelier Principle.
Not only did van't Hoff contribute substantially to his field he also found the Journal of Physical Chemistry with a colleague, Wilhelm Ostwald, as a means for disseminating new research principles in physical Chemistry.
In December 1901, on the sixth anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, van't Hoff was the very first recipient of the Chemistry Nobel Prize. He was not only a fantastic scientist but also a father of four, husband, and an avid outdoorsman. He died ten years later in 1911 but will forever be remembered in the world of chemistry.
For more information on van't Hoff, please visit here.
Comments