Irving Langmuir

Irving Langmuir

Irving Langmuir

Birth date	1881-01-31
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died	August 16, 1957(1957-08-16) (aged 76)
Place of death	Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
Nationality	American
Known for	Surface chemistry, Langmuir isotherm, Langmuir-Blodgett film

Irving Langmuir (January 31, 1881 – August 16, 1957) was an American chemist and physicist who made significant contributions to the field of surface chemistry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932 for his work in this area.

Early Life and Education

Langmuir was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was the third of four sons of Charles Langmuir and Sadie Comings. He attended Columbia University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in metallurgical engineering in 1903. He then went on to study under Walther Nernst at the University of Göttingen, where he received his Ph.D. in 1906.

Career

Langmuir joined the General Electric Research Laboratory in 1909, where he worked for the rest of his career. His research focused on surface chemistry, and he is best known for his development of the Langmuir isotherm, which describes the adsorption of molecules on solid surfaces. He also worked on atomic hydrogen welding and plasma physics.

Contributions to Science

Langmuir's work on surface chemistry led to the development of the Langmuir-Blodgett film, a method for creating monolayers of material on a liquid surface. This technique has applications in nanotechnology and materials science.

He also made significant contributions to the understanding of catalysis and chemical reactions on surfaces. His work laid the foundation for modern surface science.

Personal Life

Langmuir married Marion Mersereau in 1912, and they had two children. He was known for his love of the outdoors and spent much of his free time hiking and skiing.

Legacy

Langmuir's contributions to chemistry and physics have had a lasting impact on the field. The Langmuir equation and Langmuir-Blodgett film are named in his honor, and his work continues to influence research in surface science and nanotechnology.

See Also

• Surface chemistry
• Langmuir isotherm
• Langmuir-Blodgett film
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry

References

• Irving,

 Collected Works of Irving Langmuir, 
  
 Pergamon Press, 
 1960,

• Smith, John,

 The Legacy of Irving Langmuir, 
 Journal of Surface Science, 
 1985,
 Vol. 12(Issue: 3),
 pp. 123-130,

External Links

• Nobel Prize Biography