RALPH E. OESPER University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
OSKAR GLEMSER, well-known inorganic chemist, was born a t Stuttgart on November 12, 1911. I n 1935 he received the Dr. Ing. degree at the Technische Hochschule in his native city and remained there as assistant in the inorganic laboratory. From 1936 to 1939 he had rharge of the work in analytical chemistry. After habilitating as Privatdozent in 1939 he moved t o the Technische Hochschule in Aachen, where he was chief assistant in organic and electrochemistry and later received a license to lecture on inorganic, electro- and colloid chemistry. I n 1944 he became temporary head of the Institut as successor to Benrath, who had retired, and in this capacity oversaw the evacuation of the department to Dillenburg and also the return to Aachen in 1946. I n 1948 he was advanced to ausserplannuissige professor. Calls came from both Heidelberg and Gottingen in 1952; the latter invitation was accepted. Consequently, since November, 1952, he has been director of the inorganic chemical institute at the University of Gottingen, where he holds the rank of ordentlicher professor. His doctoral and other early researches were in the organic field. When he subsequently decided to devote himself to inorganic chemistry, he took pains not to disregard his thorough basic training in organic chemistry. Modern inorganic chemistry is making everincreasing use of physical methods, but he believes that it is extremely important that the materials themselves not be forgotten. The main field of his researches has been the study of the systems metal oxide/water, the hydroxides, and oxyhydrates. He proved definitely that in systems such as Th02/H10 or Mn02/H20the greater part of the water must be bound in a mobile form. Therefore, in the true sense of the term, there are no hydroxides in such systems, and he has proposed that the term "oxide aquate" be applied to these materials. Later studies by h i and his students of the transition metals led to the discovery of a whole series of nev hydroxides of nirkel, molybdenum, tungsten, etc. In the rase of nickel, these investigations also cleared up the process occurring a t the anode of the Edison storage battery; NiOOH and not Ni203.1.2 Hz0 is present during the charging of the cell. I n the case of tungsten, they discovered the long-sought hydrogen analogue of the sodium tungsten bronzes, namely, NazWOs where z = 0.33-1.0 (perowskite type). The new compound has the formula H,WOa (cubic) in which z = 0.5 (ROatype). They also showed that the simple molybdenum and tungsten blues can exhibit both oxidic and hydroxidic character. In the latter case there are !B
several molybdenum and tungsten blue hydroxides, which were characterized by isobaric degradation, X-ray patterns, and chemical analysis. It is interesting to note that some of these compounds can be obtained from MOa and WOa by direct addition of hydrogen atoms. Moreover, reaction with LiA1H4 or (C2H&A1H leads to the goal quickly. Oxides have also claimed much of Professor Glemser's attention. bFe203and 7-MnOz, now widely employed as a depolarizer, were the first fruits of these studies. Studies of molybdenum and tungsten oxides likewise brought successes, namely the isolation of MoPOll and W20068,both of which had been discovered by Hagg and his assoriates. I n addition to the X-ray pattern, they also employed determinations of the specific electrical resistance in characterizing the individual phases. Magnetic measurements are being used in a study of molybdenum oxides now in progress. Another investigation has shed much light on the oxides whose composition ranges between CrOzto Cr03. The extremely explosive Mnz07has been thoroughly studied and much information has been assembled, such as its decomposition enthalpy, explosion characteristics, surface tension, dipole moment, etc. Studies of purely preparative nature have been directed toward the carbon monoxide compounds of nonmetals. New syntheses of COSe, and investigations of the properties of CO(CN)3 and HCOF were the result. A new synthesis for alkylated and arylated chlorosilanes belongs in this category. I n the analytical field special mention should be made of the development of a rapid photometric procedure for studying water- and fire-resistant materials. I n an entirely new direction, Professor Glemser has taken up the study of the action of electrons on inorganic materials. For instance, he and his associates have found that slow electrons convert KMn04 into K2Mn03and KsMn04, whereas fast electrons degrade permanganate to MnO. Here for the first time, electrons have been used for studies on a preparative scale as the reaction products were isolated by chemical methods and then determined in the usual manner. His "Vorschriften sur Analyse von Wasser mit dem Leitz Photometer" was published in 1952. He furnished the chapter on the determination of alcohols, aldehydes, and acids in "Methoden der Fermentforschung" (1940). Contribution 161 of the "Fiat Review of German Science" (1948) contains his discussion of hydroxides and oxyhydrates. He contributed the chapter "Volatile carbon compounds of copper, silver, gold, rhenium, nickel, cobalt" t o the
NOVEMBER, 1953
"Handbuch der praparativen auorganischen Chemie" (1952). The third edition of Ullmann's "Enzyklopadie der t,echnisrher Chemie" will include his discussion of active solid materials and iron compounds.
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He holds a number of patents and others are pending. Finally, he is a member of the committee on "High Temperature Technique" of the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure.
