Adolf Sieverts

Adolf Sieverts ( born October 7, 1874 in Hamburg, † January 8, 1947 in Jena ) was a German chemist. In particular, his work on the experimental investigations of the solubility of hydrogen in metals were groundbreaking.

Biography

Adolf Sieverts studied from 1894 at the Technical University Dresden and the universities of Leipzig and Göttingen chemistry. In 1898 he earned his doctorate at the University of Göttingen under Otto Wallach with thesis " Contributions to the Knowledge of the Pinols ", which dealt with aspects of organic chemistry. His practice then but was associated with problems of inorganic chemistry.

The working group led by Walter Hempel and Fritz forester at the Chemical Institute of the Technical University in Dresden several years belonging to Adolf Sieverts took off in 1902 at the Royal porcelain manufactory in Meissen work as a general assistant to. In 1904 he took a post as assistant at the Institute for Applied Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Leipzig. From this point on, concerned his main work directions in addition to the representation and development of chemical analysis methods mainly researches in the field of solid state chemistry. Especially Solubility of gases in metals and alloys and the associated synthesis of metal hydrides to his main research topic has become. His 1907 submitted to the University of Leipzig habilitation thesis " Occlusion and diffusion of gases through metals " devoted to just this topic.

Because of his extensive work on the interaction of gases with metals Adolf Sieverts was appointed in December 1916 to head of the physico-chemical department of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry. He was under the responsibility of the then head of this institute, the chemist Fritz Haber. In the 20s Adolf Sieverts published some results of the 1917/18 at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute conducted research, including studies on the rate of reaction of ammonium nitrate and the shelf life of Silberpermanganat.

From 1918, he held academic teaching and research at the universities of Leipzig, Greifswald and Frankfurt am Main. In 1927 he was appointed full professor of inorganic chemistry at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Jena. He was also appointed Director of the Chemical Laboratory. The main contents of the research was the synthesis and characterization of metallic hydrides. The studies were the sorption preferably the rare elements of the platinum metals and the metals of group IV and V of the periodic table to hydrogen at varying temperatures and pressures. The evaluation of a variety of isobars and isotherms recorded of the various metal - hydrogen systems mediated fundamental insights into the nature of these classes of substances, deepened by measurements of certain physical quantities, such as density and heat of formation of the hydrides. The results of the experiments could be a non-stoichiometric composition of the statements about their presence in the form of metal hydrides and solid solutions.

In addition, dedicated his work sub-problems of analytical chemistry, in particular the osmotic methods of molecular weight determination, as aspects of physical chemistry, above all, studies of binary and ternary systems Löslichkeitsgleichgewichten salt-like compounds of group II of the periodic table.

Particular emphasis put Adolf Sieverts on his years as a university teacher. In addition to lectures in general inorganic experimental chemistry he also read " Special Inorganic Chemistry ", metals and metalloids including. In addition, appropriate placements were both general and specialized nature, such as the " Metallographic internship " performed.

Social engagement was Adolf Sieverts innermost desire. During the years of inflation his house was the only low-paid assistants, together with their relatives and needy students several times a week hospitably open. Like other intellectuals were the emerging political trends in Germany after the first World War, the scientist Adolf Sieverts increasingly taking an apolitical position.

On April 25, 1942 Adolf Sieverts handed his petition to a retirement. From his official duties, he was released on 1 October 1942.

Adolf Sieverts was considered a virtuoso pianist, he performed frequently in the strict families and groups of friends.

On January 8, 1947 Adolf Sieverts died of exhaustion and fatigue. His own personality always returns stellend and not even gently, he had used up the last forces in the struggle for the rebirth of chemical education and research at the University of Jena.

Works

Journal articles

• A. Sieverts: Z. Electrochem. Angew. Phys. Chem 16, 707 ( 1910)
• A. Sieverts: Z. Phys. Chemie 77 (1911) 591
• A. Sieverts, Z. Physik. Chem 88, 451 (1914 )
• A. Sieverts, E. Jurisch and A. Metz, Z. Anorg. Chem, 1915, 92, 329
• A. Sieverts: Zeitschrift f Metallurgy, 2 ( 1929) 37
• A. Sieverts and K. Briining: Z. Phys. Chem, 1934, A168, 411