Nobel Prizes

Three scientific members of the Institute have already been awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

 


 

Richard Willstädter (1872-1942) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1915 for his research into plant pigments. He investigated the structure and synthesis of chlorophyll and anthocyanins. From 1912 to 1916, he was a scientific member and head of the organic department at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute (KWI) for Chemistry.

Otto Hahn (1879-1968) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1945 for his discovery of nuclear fission. The Max Planck Institute for Chemistry is named the Otto Hahn Institute in his honor.  In 1946, he was appointed President of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and also of the newly founded Max Planck Society.

Paul J. Crutzen (1933-2021) was Director at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry from 1980 to 2000. Together with Mario J. Molina and Frank Sherwood Rowland, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his pioneering work on the ozone hole. Crutzen researched the role of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere and developed scenarios for nuclear winter. He also coined the term "Anthropocene" for the current geological era.

Go to Editor View