Adolf Sieverts

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

biography

From 1894 Adolf Sieverts studied chemistry at the Technical University of Dresden and at the Universities of Leipzig and Göttingen . In 1898 he received his doctorate in Göttingen under Otto Wallach with the dissertation Contributions to the Knowledge of Pinol, which deals with aspects of organic chemistry. His practice afterwards was connected with problems of inorganic chemistry.

For several years, Adolf Sieverts was a member of the working group around Walter Hempel and Fritz Förster at the Chemical Institute of the Technical University of Dresden. From 1902, Adolf Sieverts started working as an assistant at the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Meißen . In 1904 he took up an assistant position at the Institute for Applied Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Leipzig. From this point on, his main areas of work, in addition to the presentation and development of chemical analysis methods, mainly focused on research in the field of solid-state chemistry . Above all, solubility studies of gases in metals and alloys and the related synthesis of metal hydrides have become his main research topic. His habilitation thesis Occlusion and Diffusion of Gases through Metals , submitted to the University of Leipzig in 1907 , was also devoted to this topic.

Due to his extensive work on the interaction of gases with metals, Adolf Sieverts was appointed head of the physical-chemical department of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for physical chemistry and electrochemistry in December 1916 . He was therefore under the responsibility of the then head of this institute, the chemist Fritz Haber . In the 1920s, Adolf Sieverts published some of the results of the research work carried out at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in 1917/18. a. Investigations into the reaction rate of ammonium nitrate and the shelf life of silver permanganate .

From 1918 he carried out academic teaching and research at the universities in Leipzig, Greifswald and Frankfurt am Main. In 1927 he accepted the call to full professor of inorganic chemistry in the mathematics and natural sciences faculty at the University of Jena . With that he was also appointed director of the chemical laboratory. The main content of the research was the synthesis and characterization of metallic hydrides . The investigations focused primarily on the sorption behavior of the rare elements, the platinum metals and the metals of groups IV and V of the periodic table with respect to hydrogen at varying temperatures and pressures. The evaluation of a large number of recorded isobars and isotherms of the various metal-hydrogen systems conveyed fundamental knowledge about the character of these substance classes, which was deepened by measurements of certain physical quantities, such as the density and heat of formation of the hydrides. The results of the experiments allowed statements about a non- stoichiometric composition of the metal hydrides and their presence in the form of solid solutions.

In addition, his work was devoted to partial problems of analytical chemistry, in particular the osmotic methods of molecular weight determination, such as aspects of physical chemistry, especially investigations of solubility equilibria of binary and ternary systems of salt-like compounds of group II of the periodic table.

Adolf Sieverts placed particular emphasis on his work as a university lecturer. In addition to lectures in general inorganic experimental chemistry, he also read “Special inorganic chemistry”, including metals and metalloids. In addition, corresponding internships, both general and special, such as the metallographic internship, were carried out.

Social engagement was Adolf Sievert's innermost need. In the years of inflation, his house was open to the low-paid assistants, their relatives and students in need several times a week. Like other intellectuals, the emerging political tendencies in Germany after the First World War made the scientist Adolf Sievert increasingly assume an apolitical position.

On April 25, 1942, Adolf Sieverts submitted his application for retirement. He was released from his official duties on October 1, 1942.

Adolf Sieverts was considered a virtuoso pianist and often made music with close family and friends.

On January 8, 1947, Adolf Sieverts died of exhaustion and exhaustion. Always putting his own personality aside and not caring for himself, he had used up the last of his energies in the struggle for a new beginning in chemical teaching and research at the University of Jena .

Works

Magazine articles

  • A. Sieverts: Z. Elektrochem. Angew. Phys. Chem. 16, 707 (1910)
  • A. Sieverts: Z. Phys. Chemie 77 (1911) 591
  • A. Sieverts, Z. Physics. Chem. 88, 451 (1914)
  • A. Sieverts, E. Jurisch and A. Metz, Z. anorg. Chem., 1915, 92, 329
  • A. Sieverts: Journal f. Metallkunde, 2 (1929) 37
  • A. Sieverts and K. Briining: Z. Phys. Chem., 1934, A168, 411
  • together with Hans Brüning: The absorption of hydrogen by platinum black . In: Wilhelm Geibel (ed.): Festschrift for the 70th birthday of Dr. phil. Dr. ing. eh Wilhelm Heraeus , Hanau: GM Albertis Hofbuchhandlung Bruno Clauss 1930, pp. 97–114.

Web links
personal data
SURNAME Sieverts, Adolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German chemist
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1874
PLACE OF BIRTH Hamburg
DATE OF DEATH January 8, 1947
Place of death Jena