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Year: 2008

In the footsteps of Alfred Werner: The institute of InorganicChemistry at the University of Zurich

Alberto, R; Patzke, G R; Sigel, R K O; Berke, H

Alberto, R; Patzke, G R; Sigel, R K O; Berke, H (2008). In the footsteps of Alfred Werner: The institute ofInorganic Chemistry at the University of Zurich. Chimia, 63(3):111-113.Postprint available at:http://www.zora.uzh.ch

Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich.http://www.zora.uzh.ch

Originally published at:Chimia 2008, 63(3):111-113.

Alberto, R; Patzke, G R; Sigel, R K O; Berke, H (2008). In the footsteps of Alfred Werner: The institute ofInorganic Chemistry at the University of Zurich. Chimia, 63(3):111-113.Postprint available at:http://www.zora.uzh.ch

Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich.http://www.zora.uzh.ch

Originally published at:Chimia 2008, 63(3):111-113.

In the footsteps of Alfred Werner: The institute of InorganicChemistry at the University of Zurich

Abstract

Inorganic chemistry has a long-standing tradition at the University of Zurich starting with Carl JacobLowig, the first professor of chemistry. The influence of Nobel Prize winner Alfred Werner incoordination, organometallic, and bioinorganic chemistry extends right up to the present day as can beseen in many of the research fields of the current professors and young research scientists. With all duerespect for the long tradition in inorganic chemistry the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry is also lookingforwards to define its role to meet the challenges of the future.

175th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH 111CHIMIA 2008, 62, No. 3

Chimia 62 (2008) 111–113© Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft

ISSN 0009–4293

In the Footsteps of Alfred Werner:The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry at theUniversity of Zurich

Roger Alberto, Greta R. Patzke, Roland K. O. Sigel, and Heinz G. Berke*

Abstract: Inorganic chemistry has a long-standing tradition at the University of Zurich starting with Carl JacobLöwig, the first professor of chemistry. The influence of Nobel Prize winner Alfred Werner in coordination, organo-metallic, and bioinorganic chemistry extends right up to the present day as can be seen in many of the researchfields of the current professors and young research scientists. With all due respect for the long tradition in inorganicchemistry the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry is also looking forwards to define its role to meet the challenges ofthe future.

Keywords: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry UZH · Werner, A.

Carl Jacob Löwig’s work covered all chem-istry. Nevertheless he is one of the co-dis-coverers of bromine, an inorganic chemicalelement, and he worked on tetraethyl lead,one of the first organometallic compoundsever prepared.

After Carl Jacob Löwig, inorganicchemistry at the University of Zurich wassomewhat neglected until the coordinationchemist Alfred Werner entered the stage asProfessor of Chemistry of the Universityof Zurich in 1889. Coming from the ETHZurich and trained as an organic chemist,Alfred Werner switched research directionsto eventually revolutionize coordinationchemistry by introducing stereochemicalviews of organic chemistry, views in threedimensions, to this principal field of inor-ganic chemistry. He was the first chemist todeal with a correct chemical picture of co-

ordination compounds and by doing so laidthe foundations for a persistent theory ofthe major area of transition metal chemis-try. He thus may not only be considered thefounder of coordination chemistry honoredwith the Nobel Prize in 1913, but also as thefather of many related chemical disciplines,such as organometallic chemistry, the fieldsof coordination polymers and bioinorganiccoordination chemistry as they are stillnowadays present as research disciplinesof the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry ofthe University of Zurich.

After Werner’s death in 1919 and withthe appointment of Paul Karrer in 1920,

*Correspondence: Prof. Dr. H. BerkeInstitute of Inorganic ChemistryUniversity of ZürichWinterthurerstrasse 190CH-8057 ZurichFax: +41 44 635 6802E-mail, hberke@aci.uzh.ch; www.aci.uzh.ch

175 years of Inorganic Chemistry atthe University of Zurich

Inorganic Chemistry has a long-standingtradition at the University of Zurich. Sur-veying its history one has to begin with CarlJacob Löwig who was the first chemistryprofessor at the University of Zurich start-ing at its foundation in 1833. In those earlyyears of chemistry the distinction between‘inorganic’ and ‘organic’ chemistry wasnot yet in common use. (‘UnorganischeChemie’ denoting inorganic chemistry wascoined by Friedrich Wöhler only in 1828.)

doi:10.2533/chimia.2008.111

Carl Jacob Löwig (1803–1890), the first ChemistryProfessor at the University of Zurich worked ontetraethyl lead

Alfred Werner (1866 – 1919), Nobel Prize Laureate1913 for coordination chemistry theory

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there was again no specialist for inorganicchemistry in the Chemistry Institute. Un-fortunately, the opportunity was not takenat that time to establish a separate Instituteof Inorganic Chemistry alongside the newlycreated Institute of Physical Chemistry. Themain lecture courses in inorganic chemistrywere given by Karrer until his retirement in1959. However, in 1931 Gerold Schwarzen-bach was appointed as ‘Abteilungsvorste-her’. Although Gerold Schwarzenbach be-came one of the leading inorganic chemistsof his generation, during his tenure at theUniversity he was never given the responsi-bility for the main inorganic lecture course.He was appointed Associate Professor in1943 and Full Professor in 1947. His reputa-tiongrewinparticular from1945on, throughhis contributions to the modern acid−basetheory, and in particular for his studieson metal complexes using potentiometricmethods, the quantitative measurement ofmetal complex association constants, andthe discovery of metal-indicators such aseriochrome black. In 1955, however, Ger-old Schwarzenbach, who can be denoted asa true successor of Alfred Werner, receivedan offer from the ETH Zurich following hisearlier teacher William Dupré Treadwell,and so resigned his position at the Univer-sity. Had he remained until the retirementof Paul Karrer, his patience would certainlyhave been rewarded with the creation of anindependent Institute of Inorganic Chemis-try, and most likely also the mantle of PaulKarrer himself.

In the year following Gerold Schwarzen-bach’s move to the ETH, Ernst Schumachercompleted his habilitation in inorganic andanalytical chemistry at the University. Hewas subsequently made Associate Profes-sor (in 1957) and, after the retirement ofPaul Karrer, Full Professor and Directorof the newly established Institute of Inor-ganic Chemistry (1959). Under Ernst Schu-macher’s leadership, the research directionof the new Institute changed more towardsproblems in physical-inorganic chemistry.The instrumentation within the Institutealso improved markedly. However, ErnstSchumacher became frustrated by delaysin the refurbishment and extension of theInstitute, and in 1964 he accepted an offerfrom CIBA to become a Director of Re-search. In 1966 Hans R. Oswald was ap-pointed as successor to Ernst Schumacher,and director of the Institute of InorganicChemistry. In 1968 Helmut Werner, comingfrom the famous group of Ernst O. Fischer atthe Technical University, was appointed Pro-fessor of Chemistry to fill the newly estab-lished second Chair at the Inorganic Chemis-try Institute. Helmut Werner was essentiallyan organometallic chemist building bridgesbetween the classical disciplines of organicand inorganic chemistry. Helmut Werner leftthe Institute to take up a professorship at the

University of Würzburg in 1975. In 1978John Ammeter was appointed as AssociateProfessor, but quit his position in 1985. JohnGünter then joined the Institute as AssistantProfessor in 1981, became Associate Profes-sor in 1990 and retired in 1999.

After some paucity in the secondchaired position Heinz Berke came to theUniversity as Full Professor in 1988, andtook over as Chairman of the InorganicChemistry Institute in 1991. Heinz Berke’smajor research field concerns organometal-lic chemistry mainly related to the explora-tion and exploitation of physical propertiesof organometallic compounds as molecularmaterials and metal catalysis of organicreactions. A special field he has recentlyacquired deals with the archaeometry ofancient blue pigments. After retirement ofHans R. Oswald in 1998, Roger Alberto,from the Paul Scherer Institute (PSI) inWürenlingen, was appointed AssociateProfessor in 1999. Working in the fields ofcoordination and organometallic transitionmetal compounds and their application toradiopharmacy, Roger Alberto’s research ison very close tracks to that ofAlfred Werner.In 2006 he was promoted to Full Professor.Also along the lines of Alfred Werner, linksof coordination chemistry to biology wereestablished when Roland Sigel entered theInstitute as an Assistant Professor in 2003characterizing the interaction of metal ionswith RNA, their respective switching androle in catalytic functions. In 2007 the Insti-tute was supplemented by Greta Patzke asan Assistant Professor for solid-state chem-istry. Also demonstrating strong ties withthe fundamental accomplishments ofAlfredWerner, Greta Patzke utilizes coordinationcompounds to build in controlled ways sol-ids on the nanometer scale. Most recentlyin 2008, Eva Freisinger was promoted toan Assistant Professor, working in the areaof bioinorganic chemistry of metallothion-eins. The Institute of Inorganic Chemistrypresently also hosts very active and ambi-tious young scientists heading their own re-search groups: Dr. Venkatesan Koushik, Dr.Christian Frech, Dr. Dominik Brühwiler,Dr. Bernhard Spingler and Dr. Felix Zelder.They supplement the research fields of theInstitute with strong activities in timely ar-eas of inorganic chemistry such as molecularlight switches, homogeneous catalysis withtransition metal complexes, light harvestingdevices on the basis of mesoporous silica,the metal-induced chemistry of Z-DNA andorganometallic photochemistry.

Today’s Research at the Institute ofInorganic Chemistry – in memoriamAlfred Werner

The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry ofthe University of Zurich thus hosts momen-

tarily a current total of five research groupsheaded by professors and five young sci-entists’ groups. All of them are working insome relationship to Alfred Werner’s chem-istry in the special fields of radiopharma-ceutical, bioinorganic and organometallicchemistry to forge links to medicine, biol-ogy, biochemistry and organic chemistry.Concomittantly, the fields of solid-statechemistry and coordination chemistry arealso included forming sub-disciplines at thecenter of the specialist area. What all thesebranches of study have in common is theirfocus on the chemistry of metals, thus re-viving Alfred Werner’s heritage.

At many points of its way through his-tory a chemistry institute with such a long-standing tradition has to reflect on its rolein society and science, in particular on theoccasion of a university anniversary. Onthis occasion a few substantial questionsmay be raised.

Inorganic Chemistry − what does thatmean nowadays? In the way chemistrypresents itself today, the field of inorganicchemistry can now only be seen in historicterms. The use of this expression to desig-nate a discipline is a matter of form. ‘Inor-ganic’ no longer means the ‘chemistry ofnon-living matter’ but expresses the generalcircumstance that inorganic chemistry dealswith all chemical elements. Modern inor-ganic chemistry forges links to many dis-ciplines such as biology, medicine, organicchemistry, biochemistry, physics, materi-als science and many other areas, with thecore discipline ‘still’ existing as such andbeing investigated with many fundamentalaspects in addition. However, basically it ismuch more than just the core discipline.

What role does inorganic chemistryplay in our everyday life today? Most ofthe substances created by human hand andshaping everyday life such as silicon chipsin computers, in particular materials frommetals, magnetic and electrical substancesor hard coatings on moving parts in motors,are purely inorganic in nature. Many othersuch materials are organometallic. Theyalways offer special characteristics whichare used by man, for example silicones asheat-resistant plastics or chromophoric ma-terials, so-called pigments in car paintwork,and so on.The range of inorganic substancesthat transform everyday life for the better istoo enormous to list in full. The fundamen-tal question is to which fields of researchand application inorganic substances willcontribute substantially? The answer tothis question will define the directions inwhich an Inorganic Chemistry Institute willgo at present and in future. Contributionsin the energy sector, e.g. hydrogen storage,fuel cells, large (lithium) batteries as wellas catalysts for natural gas into petroleumconversion will certainly belong to thesedirections. Corresponding research is cur-

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rently being performed in two groups atthe Institute in collaboration with industrialpartners.

Further key issues of research at theinstitute revolve around the biologicalrole of metals. The Faculty of Natural Sci-ences, MNF, at the University has decidedrecently to focus on life science-related re-search. The improvement of health care byunderstanding and controlling fundamentalmolecular processes leads, for example, to

studies on the interaction of metal ions withnucleotide based macromolecules – DNAor RNA as well as with proteins. The diag-nosis and treatment of diseases such as can-cer will remain a major concern. Only theunderstanding of life processes in combi-nation with distinctly designed compoundswill successfully tackle this challenge. Ra-dioactive substances containing metal ionsto specifically find and cure cancer are aninstrument to that objective but not the only

one. Projects stemming from biologicallymotivated research are widespread at ourinstitute, always with metal ion complexesas central tools. Well-structured materialssuch as polyoxometalates serve as buildingblocks for various purposes or are a tool forunderstanding and guiding the formationof new structures on the nanoscale, topicswhich are investigated in two groups at theinstitute. The indispensable demand forefficient metal-based catalysts further en-hancing the conversion in particular of or-ganic molecules to other refined products,whereby saving energy and avoiding waste,does not need to be emphasized. Returningto purely inorganic compounds, historicalblue pigments that played an important rolein ancient times, are being prepared andinvestigated. Due to the rarity of the bluecolor in nature, such pigments were manu-factured artificially early on in the develop-ment of man, i.e. with the help of chemicalprocesses that have since been lost, but arenow being revived at the Institute of Inor-ganic Chemistry.

This quite concise description of re-search projects at the Institute is not com-prehensive but it gives a taste of the fact thatour research seizes the challenges of the fu-ture by focusing on topics highly relevantfor the future. Being a University Institute,fundamental research is the base, but appli-cation is the objective. For a relatively smallinstitute it stands to reason that internationalnetworking is the only way to be successful.Accordingly, manifold co-operations exist,and exclusively through these the objec-tives are sought to be reached. Indeed, thatis how past and future go together at theInstitute of Inorganic Chemistry.

Received: February 6, 2008

Current Faculty Members at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry: Heinz Berke, Greta Patzke, RogerAlberto and Roland Sigel