Günther Wilke | |
---|---|
Born | Heidelberg, Germany | 23 February 1925
Died | 9 December 2016 | (aged 91)
Nationality | German |
Known for | Organo-Nickel Chemistry |
Awards |
Willard Gibbs Award (1991) Wilhelm Exner Medal (1980). [1] |
Scientific career | |
Fields | inorganic chemistry |
Institutions | Max 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]