Chemistry icon Professor Grützmacher dies at the age of 93!

Chemistry icon Professor Grützmacher dies at the age of 93!

It is with deep sadness that Bielefeld University received the news of the death of Professor Dr. Hans-Friedrich Grützmacher interrogated. Grützmacher, who has died at the age of 93, was one of the founding fathers of the chemistry department at the university. He joined the university in 1973 and played a crucial role in establishing the faculty, which was officially established in 1975. During his career, he took over the position of Vice Rector for Research and Young Scientists in 1974 and led his teaching activities until his retirement in 1997.

Grützmacher's research interests lay primarily in basic organic chemical research. This included the synthesis of complex organic compounds and physical-organic chemistry. His involvement in the field of mass spectrometry was particularly notable. The numerous scientific papers he published made him a prominent figure in this field of research. He was also editor of the magazine “Organic Mass Spectrometry” and co-founder of the mass spectrometry working group in the Society of German Chemists.

Scientific contributions and commitment

In the last decades of his life, Grützmacher was also active in various scientific funding institutions. These include the German National Academic Foundation and the board of trustees of the “Jugend forscht” foundation. He was also a liaison lecturer for the German Research Foundation at Bielefeld University for many years. A detailed obituary can be found on the website of the Faculty of Chemistry.

Grützmacher was known for his pioneering work in the synthesis and properties of cyclophanes and heterocyclophanes. He developed effective syntheses using the McMurry coupling and analyzed the structure and conformational mobility of these compounds using VT-NMR. An outstanding example of his work was the synthesis of a triple-clamped triphenylaminophane in just two steps. He also devoted himself intensively to innovative ways to prepare electron-rich dendrimers with triphenylamine as a unit.

Mass spectrometry as a central research topic

A central element of Grützmacher's research was mass spectrometry, a field that has seen numerous technological advances over the years. The history of mass spectrometry is deeply rooted in physical and chemical studies aimed at the nature of matter. Initial discoveries in the 19th century led to the identification of positive ions and electrons. Over the years, mass spectrometry was further developed to discover stable isotopes and was eventually used for the Manhattan Project to separate uranium isotopes.

High-performance mass spectrometers, such as those used by Grützmacher and other leading chemists of the 20th century, are essential for much research today. Developments such as Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry, which Grützmacher advanced, are just a few examples of his influence in this field of research. Grützmacher's contribution to mass spectrometry remains crucial to the further development of organic chemistry and beyond.