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In-Depth Information
Staudinger began his research on natural and synthetic polymers in Zurich. In
the early 1920s, he published a series of papers on his new theory that polymers
were actually covalently bonded molecules of high-molecular weight formed by
the linking together of smaller molecules [
39
,
40
]. Whilst Staudinger worked
as a synthetic organic chemist, he is also considered the founder of the area of
polymer analytics [
41
]. Before Staudinger's studies, nothing was known about the
analytical identification and structure of macromolecular substances. Staudinger
demonstrated that macromolecular substances are composed of several thousand
of molecular segments, but they are neither aggregates nor colloids. He proved his
findings in 1927 by synthesizing polyoxymethylene and by determining molecular
masses of the macromolecules [
42
]. Staudinger coined the terms
macromolecules
and
polystyrol
. Staudinger compared molecular masses of polymers measured
viscosimetrically and osmometrically, respectively, and deduced a dependency of
their ratio upon the polymerization temperature (“branching of filamentous mol-
ecules” [
43
]). During World War II, Staudinger chose to stay, but he was debarred
from professional organizations and denied research funds. After World War II,
Staudinger turned to the study of biological macromolecules [
44
].
For his work, Staudinger received the
Emil
-
Fischer
-
Medaille
of the German
Chemical Society in 1930, the Cannizzarro Prize of the Reale Accademia
Nazionale dei Lincei in Roma in 1933. Many universities around the world hon-
oured his scientific achievements by honorary doctorates. In 1952, he was awarded
the
Bundesverdienstkreuz
(Order of Merit) of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Staudinger received in 1953 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discoveries in
the field of macromolecular chemistry [
45
]. He was a member and honorary mem-
ber of many Chemical Societies and the Society of Macromolecular Chemistry in
Tokyo. Since 1971, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) regularly awards the
Hermann
-
Staudinger
-
Preis
for achievements in the field of polymer chemistry.
Paul Robert Albert G
rießbach
(born 3 April 1886, Dresden, died 25 December
1970, Wolfen)
Robert Grießbach grew up in a teacher's family. He started his university
education in mathematics and science in Leipzig in 1909. After interruption by
World War I, he completed in 1920 his dissertation on precipitation equilibria,
supervised by Wilhelm Böttger. His industrial carrier began in a laboratory rich
in tradition, namely the
Ammoniaklaboratorium
of BASF in Ludwigshafen headed
by A. Mittasch. In 1929, he became head of the Inorganic Laboratory in the
Farbenfabrik Wolfen, a position he held up to retirement in 1955 [
46
]. In 1953,
he became a part-time Professor at Universität Leipzig, which was changed into a
Full Professorship from 1955 up to 1966 (for portrait see Fig.
4.7
).
Grießbach is considered the father of commercially available ion exchange res-
ins, which were produced since 1936 under the name “Wofatit” [
47
]. Extensive
research led to a great number of different types of cation and anion exchang-
ers. The results of his basic research of the acid-base behaviour, swelling, porous
structure and the thermodynamics and kinetics of the exchange process are sum-
marized in his topic
Ionenaustauscher in Theorie und Praxis
(1957) [
48
]. This
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