Frederick G. Donnan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frederick G. Donnan
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Frederick G. Donnan
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| Born |
Frederick George Donnan
6 September 1870 |
| Died | 16 December 1956 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | Queen's College, Belfast |
| Known for |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | |
| Doctoral advisor | Wilhelm Ostwald |
| Other academic advisors | J. H. van't Hoff |
| Doctoral students | Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar |
Frederick George Donnan was a very important British-Irish physical chemist. He was born on September 6, 1870, and passed away on December 16, 1956. He is best known for his ideas about how tiny particles move across special barriers, like the ones inside our bodies. This idea is called the Donnan equilibrium. He taught and researched for many years at University College London.
Contents
Discovering Frederick Donnan's Life
Frederick Donnan was born in Colombo, which was then called British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His father, William Donnan, was a merchant from Belfast. Frederick spent his early years in Ulster. He had an accident as a child and became blind in one eye. Because of this, he is often shown in pictures from the side.
Donnan's Education and Early Career
He studied at Queen's College, Belfast and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1894. Then, he went to the University of Leipzig to study with Wilhelm Ostwald, where he earned his PhD in 1896. After that, he did more research with Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff. Donnan then became a research student at University College London, joining the teaching staff in 1901.
In 1903, he became a lecturer in organic chemistry at the Royal College of Science for Ireland in Dublin. Later, in 1906, he became a professor of physical chemistry at the University of Liverpool. In 1913, he returned to University College London. He stayed there until he retired, leading the Chemistry Department from 1928 to 1937. He died in Canterbury on December 16, 1956. He never married and had no children.
Frederick Donnan's Important Work
During the First World War, Donnan helped the government with important projects. He worked with a chemical engineer named K. B. Quinan to build factories. These factories made special compounds needed to create munitions, which are military supplies like bombs. Donnan received the CBE award in 1920 for this important work.
Coining the Term "Aerosol"
It was also during this time that he invented the word "aerosol". An aerosol is a mist of tiny particles, like spray paint or hairspray. He was very excited about the new field of chemical engineering. After the war, he worked closely with a company called Brunner Mond. They developed a large chemical factory in Billingham.
Understanding the Donnan Equilibrium
Donnan's 1911 paper about how things move across membranes was very important. It helped people understand how materials move between living cells and their surroundings. This idea is called the Donnan equilibrium. He often gave lectures about this topic in Europe and America. It is the main scientific discovery he is remembered for today. The Donnan equilibrium is still a key idea for understanding how tiny particles move in cells.
Helping Refugees Before World War II
Just before World War II, Donnan actively helped European refugees. These people wanted to escape from the Nazis. Among those he helped were Hermann Arthur Jahn and Edward Teller. They wrote their famous paper on the Jahn–Teller effect while they were in London.
Awards and Recognitions
Frederick Donnan received many honors for his work and contributions.
- 1911 – He became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
- 1920 – He received the CBE for his help during wartime.
- 1924 – He was awarded the Longstaff Medal by the Chemical Society.
- 1928 – He received the Davy Medal, a very important award in chemistry.
- 1936 – He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- Donnan also received 11 honorary degrees from different universities.
