The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Ernst Otto Fischer in 1973 for his pioneering research into organometallic compounds. A native of Solln, he spent his professional life advancing the understanding of transition metal complexes, ultimately reshaping modern chemical theory through his investigation of sandwich compounds and the identification of metal alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes.
Military Service and Academic Foundation
Born in 1918 to Karl T. Fischer, a physics professor at the Technical University of Munich, Ernst Otto Fischer began his formal education before the onset of the Second World War. He served in the military in Poland, France, and Russia, interrupting his early academic pursuits. Following his release by American forces in 1945, he returned to the Technical University of Munich to resume his studies in chemistry, successfully graduating in 1949.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Groundbreaking Research in Organometallics
Fischer earned his doctorate in 1952 under Walter Hieber. His early research focused on the organometallic chemistry of transition metals. He disputed existing structural postulations regarding ferrocene, subsequently publishing data that established the structure of ferrocene along with new complexes such as nickelocene and cobaltocene. His investigation into the chemistry of Hein's reactions involving chromium(III) chloride eventually led to the isolation of bis(benzene)chromium, establishing the foundations for a new class of sandwich complexes.
Academic Appointments and Global Outreach
After joining the faculty, he advanced rapidly at the Technical University of Munich, becoming a lecturer in 1955 and eventually taking the Chair of Inorganic Chemistry in 1964. During the 1960s, his research group discovered metal alkylidene and alkylidyne complexes, now known as Fischer carbenes and Fischer-carbynes. His career involved significant international engagement, including lectureships at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the University of Florida, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Institutional Membership and Final Years
Fischer held memberships in numerous prestigious organizations, including the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. He received multiple accolades, including the Alfred Stock Memorial Prize in 1959, the Centenary Prize in 1974, and the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art in 1981. He died in 2007 in Munich and is buried at Friedhof Solln.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Solln
- Died: 2007, Munich
- Education: Technical University of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry: 1973
- Primary Field: Organometallic chemistry
- Notable discovered complexes: Fischer carbenes and Fischer-carbynes
- Burial site: Friedhof Solln
Questions readers ask
What specific area of chemistry did Fischer pioneer?
He pioneered organometallic chemistry, specifically the study of transition metal complexes, sandwich compounds, and the discovery of Fischer carbenes and Fischer-carbynes.
Did he win the Nobel Prize alone?
No, he shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Geoffrey Wilkinson.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry — 1973
- Bavarian Order of Merit
- Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Notable work: organometallic chemistry
- Affiliated with Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Technical University of Munich
- Educated at Technical University of Munich and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
- Worked as chemist and university teacher
