Izaak Kolthoff facts for kids

Izaak Maurits (Piet) Kolthoff (born February 11, 1894 – died March 4, 1993) was a very important analytical chemist and a chemistry teacher. Many people call him the "father of analytical chemistry." This is because he published a huge amount of research in many different areas of chemistry. He also worked hard to make the field of analytical chemistry more modern and popular. Plus, he taught many students who later became very successful scientists themselves.

One of Kolthoff's most famous discoveries was the "cold process" for making synthetic rubber. He developed this during World War II as part of a special program in the U.S. He also cared a lot about social issues, like working for world peace and speaking out against nuclear weapons tests.

Kolthoff earned his PhD in chemistry from the University of Utrecht in his home country, the Netherlands. In 1927, he moved to the United States. He joined the team at the University of Minnesota, where he worked for over 60 years!

Early Life and Learning

Izaak Kolthoff was born in Almelo, Netherlands, on February 11, 1894. He was the youngest of three children. From a young age, he was called "Piet" for reasons no one quite remembers. He kept this nickname his whole life.

When Kolthoff was in high school, he discovered chemistry and loved it right away. He finished high school in 1911 and then went to the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Kolthoff really wanted to study chemistry. But back then, students studying science had to know either Latin or Greek. Kolthoff already spoke Dutch, German, French, and English. To avoid the old language rule, he chose to study pharmacy instead.

The pharmacy program at Utrecht gave him a strong start in analytical chemistry. There, Kolthoff met Nicholas Schoorl, a pharmacy professor who became his mentor. Schoorl taught analytical chemistry by focusing on basic chemical ideas. This was quite new at the time. He introduced Kolthoff to research in electro-analytical chemistry and co-precipitation. He also told Kolthoff to think about analytical chemistry like a scientist, not just by following old rules. Kolthoff later shared Schoorl's famous saying: "Theory guides, experiment decides."

Kolthoff published his first scientific paper in 1915. It was about pH, which is a way to measure how acidic or basic something is. This idea was first introduced in 1909. Also in 1915, Kolthoff earned his pharmacy degree. He kept studying at Utrecht, taking advanced classes in physical and colloid chemistry. In 1918, the old language rule for science students was removed. That's when Kolthoff finally got his PhD in chemistry from the University of Utrecht. By the time he earned his doctorate, he had already published 32 research papers!

A Career in Chemistry

Kolthoff stayed at the University of Utrecht as a teacher and researcher until 1927. During this time, he wrote or helped write 270 papers and three books. He also helped people understand the idea of pH, which was not well known yet. In 1924, he went on a lecture tour in the United States and Canada. All these activities made him famous around the world.

In 1927, he was offered a one-year job at the University of Minnesota. He took the job and kept doing his research and writing. He translated and expanded many of his earlier works into English. His temporary job became permanent, and soon he was a professor and head of the analytical division at the University's chemistry school.

During World War II, Kolthoff worked on a special program for the U.S. government. The goal was to find a way to make synthetic rubber. He was the head of a committee on research methods and oversaw three projects related to this. His research on how to make rubber using emulsion polymerization and his discovery of a low-temperature "cold process" for synthetic rubber were some of his most important contributions.

Kolthoff officially retired in 1962. By then, he had written 809 research papers. But even after retiring, he kept working! He published 136 more papers, bringing his total to an amazing 945 papers throughout his career.

Amazing Research

Kolthoff worked in many different areas of chemistry. These included:

• Measuring acids and bases using titration.
• Analyzing chemicals using electricity (like electrometric analysis and conductometry).
• Measuring electrical potential (potentiometry).
• Studying how electrons move (electron transfer).
• Measuring substances by weighing them (gravimetric analysis) and studying precipitation reactions.
• Analyzing chemicals using polarography and amperometric titrations.
• And his work on emulsion polymerization for rubber.

He was known for combining basic scientific ideas with practical uses in his work. Kolthoff's scientific way of doing analysis is common today, but it was rare in the early 1900s when he started his career.

Teaching Future Scientists

Kolthoff guided 51 students who were getting their PhDs in chemistry at the University of Minnesota. Some of his notable students included Johannes F. Coetzee, Herbert A. Laitinen, James J. Lingane, and Ernest B. Sandell. He also taught many students getting their master's and bachelor's degrees. In 1993, it was thought that over 1,500 PhD chemists, including Allen J. Bard, could trace their academic family tree back to Kolthoff!

Helping the Chemistry Field

Kolthoff strongly believed that analytical chemistry should be seen as a modern science. He wanted to improve its standing among all chemists. He helped start the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Analytical Chemistry in 1938. He also helped create the Analytical Chemistry Division of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 1951.

Kolthoff was on the editorial board for important chemistry journals. He worked for Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Analytical Edition from 1935 to 1942. He also worked for Analytical Chemistry when it started in 1948.

Life Beyond the Lab

During World War II, Kolthoff worked with the Rockefeller Foundation. He helped European scientists who were being treated badly by the Nazis find new jobs at universities in the U.S. After the war, he traveled to the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. His goal was to build friendly connections with scientists there.

Kolthoff wrote letters to important science and political leaders. These included Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, Linus Pauling, and Hubert Humphrey. He wrote about big global issues like promoting peace and stopping nuclear weapons tests. His letters about a nuclear weapons conference and his disagreement with Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist actions caught the attention of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was accused of being part of some groups, but no action was taken against him.

Kolthoff never married. He lived most of his life very close to the chemistry building. After he retired, he kept working with his lab assistant, Miron Chantooni. Kolthoff passed away on March 4, 1993, at Bethesda Lutheran Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in St. Paul.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Kolthoff received many awards, honorary degrees, and other special recognitions throughout his long career. Here are some of them:

Awards and Medals

• William H. Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society, 1949
• Fisher Award (now called the ACS Award in Analytical Chemistry), American Chemical Society, 1950
• Willard Gibbs Medal Award, American Chemical Society, 1964
• Charles Medal, Charles University, 1964
• Kolthoff Gold Medal, Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 1967
• Award for Excellence in Education, American Chemical Society, 1983
• Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science, Royal Society of Chemistry, 1984

Honorary Degrees

• University of Chicago, 1955
• University of Groningen, 1964
• Brandeis University, 1974
• The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 1975

Other Honors

Kolthoff was named a Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1947. This is a special civil and military honor from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1958, Kolthoff was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was an honorary member of the American Pharmaceutical Association and eight other chemical societies from different countries.

The University of Minnesota named its 1972 chemistry building Kolthoff Hall in his honor. The university's Department of Chemistry also started the annual Kolthoff Lectureship in 1979.

On his eightieth birthday, the American Chemical Society held a special event called the I.M. Kolthoff 80th Anniversary Symposium. The society also offers the I. M. Kolthoff Enrichment Awards for college students.

Kolthoff was added to the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame in 1985. He was also inducted into the Minnesota Science and Technology Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2014, the American Chemical Society recognized Kolthoff's work in modern analytical chemistry as a National Historic Chemical Landmark.