Günther Wilke

Günther Wilke
Born(1925-02-23)23 February 1925
Heidelberg, Germany
Died9 December 2016(2016-12-09) (aged 91)
NationalityGerman
Known forOrgano-Nickel Chemistry
AwardsWillard Gibbs Award (1991)
Wilhelm Exner Medal (1980).[1]
Scientific career
Fieldsinorganic chemistry
InstitutionsMax Planck Institute for Coal Research

Günther Wilke (23 February 1925 – 9 December 2016) was a German chemist who was influential in organometallic chemistry. He was the director of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung) from 1967–1992, succeeding Karl Ziegler in that post.[2] During Wilke's era, the MPI made several discoveries and achieved some financial independence from patents and a gift from the Ziegler family. The institute continued as a center of excellence in organometallic chemistry.

Wilke's own area of interest focused on homogeneous catalysis by nickel complexes. His group discovered or developed several compounds including Ni(1,5-cyclooctadiene)2, Ni(allyl)2, Ni(C2H4)3. Some of these complexes are useful catalysts for the oligomerization of dienes.[3] He died in 2016 at the age of 91.[4]

Wilke is credited with the discovery of bis(cyclooctadiene)nickel(0), a useful homogeneous catalyst.

Honours and awards

References

  1. ^ a b Editor, ÖGV. (2015). Wilhelm Exner Medal. Austrian Trade Association. ÖGV. Austria.
  2. ^ "History of the Max-Planck-Institute (German)". Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2013-06-22.
  3. ^ Wilke, G. (1988). "Contributions to Organo-Nickel Chemistry". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 27: 185–206. doi:10.1002/anie.198801851.
  4. ^ "Günther Wilke (1925 – 2016)". ChemistryViews.org. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  5. ^ "Professor Dr. rer. nat., Dr. Eh., Dr. h.c. mult. Günther Wilke". Nordrhein-Westfälischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Archived from the original on 24 March 2016.
  6. ^ "G.W. Wilke". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.

See also: https://web.archive.org/web/20080529173702/http://www.mpi-muelheim.mpg.de/kofo/english/institut/geschichte_e.html


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