Georg Bredig (October 1, 1868 – April 24, 1944) was a German physical chemist. Bredig was a faculty member at the University of Leipzig (1895-1901) and professor of chemistry at Heidelberg (1901–1910); Technische Hochschule, Zurich (1910); and Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe (1911–1933).
Bredig did fundamental research in catalysis, preparing aqueous colloidal dispersions of metals and comparing the catalytic properties of metal colloids to the action of enzymes (or "ferments"). He made significant contributions in reaction kinetics and electrochemistry.
Despite being a respected scientist in his field, Bredig was forced to leave the university by the National Socialists in 1933, ending his teaching and research career. Princeton University offered Bredig a pro forma position, enabling him to emigrate to the United States in 1940.
Life
Georg Bredig was the son of Max Bredig and his wife Ernestine (Troplowitz) Bredig. He was born on October 1, 1868, in Glogau, Niederschlesien, Silesia Province. The family was of Jewish descent, but Bredig identified himself as a Protestant. Like Fritz Haber, another German chemist of Jewish descent, Bredig felt a deeply patriotic attachment to Germany.
Education and early catalysis research
In 1886, Bredig began studying natural sciences at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg. After one term he moved to Friedrich-Wilhelm University in Berlin (later Humboldt University of Berlin) where he studied from 1886-1889. Among his teachers were August Wilhelm von Hofmann, August Kundt, Siegmund Gabriel and (1854-1919). Will was instrumental in introducing Bredig to the work of Wilhelm Ostwald of the University of Leipzig, and the new field of physical chemistry. Fascinated by this branch of research Bredig moved to the University of Leipzig in autumn 1889. There he studied with Ostwald, earning his doctorate in 1894 with a two-part dissertation, discussing I. Beiträge zur Stöchiometrie. Ionenbewegung; II. Über die Affinitätsgrößen d. Basen, (I. Contributions to stoichiometry. Ion motion; II. About the affinities of Bases). Another outcome of his work was that Bredig introduced the idea of a Zwitterion, a dipolar ion with at least one positive and one negative functional group, and a net charge of zero.
Bredig spent the next year and a half doing postdoctoral work at the laboratories of J. H. van't Hoff in Amsterdam, M. Berthelot in Paris and S. Arrhenius in Stockholm. In autumn 1895, he returned to the University of Leipzig as an assistant to Wilhelm Ostwald. The two men had much in common, including interests in pacifism and internationalism.
In 1898 Bredig discovered that it is possible to make colloidal solutions of metals usable as catalysts. Bredig's arc method became the preferred chemical method of creating metallic solutions. He expanded upon this work by studying and comparing the activity of metal colloids and that of inorganic ferments (his name for biological enzymes). In 1899, the Deutsche Elektrochemische Gesellschaft (German Electrochemical Society, founded 1894) awarded an honorary prize to Bredig for his work.
Bredig habilitated in Leipzig in 1901, publishing the dissertation Anorganische Fermente (Inorganic ferments). He was granted his teaching licence (venia legendi) after speaking on the topic "Über die Chemie der extremen Temperaturen" ("On the chemistry of extreme temperatures").
In 1901 Bredig married Rosa Fraenkel. The couple had two children, Max Albert Bredig (1902-1977) and Marianne Bredig (1903-1987). Max Albert Bredig also became a chemist, eventually working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Marianne Bredig married Dr. Viktor Homburger.
Research at Heidelberg and Zurich
Also in 1901, Bredig was appointed as associate professor at the University of Heidelberg, the first professor there in physical chemistry. With the support of Theodor Curtius at Heidelberg, Bredig was able to establish his own research program, which led to great progress in catalytic research. One of his achievements at Heidelberg was the first catalytic synthesis of asymmetric carbon compounds, selectively synthesizing specific stereoisomer molecules. In addition to catalysis, his primary areas of research were reaction kinetics and electrochemistry. In addition to his work on organic and inorganic catalysts, he and his students contributed to the areas of kinetics of adiabatic reactions, amphoteric electrolytes and ampholytic ions, and the catalytic decomposition kinetics of ethyl diazoacetate.
As a teacher, he attracted many young, talented scientists from all over the world. Among Bredig's students at Heidelberg were Kasimir Fajans, James William McBain, and Andreas von Antropoff.