175th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF 111 doi:10.2533/chimia.2008.111 CHIMIA 2008, 62, No. 3

Chimia 62 (2008) 111–113 © Schweizerische Chemische Gesellschaft ISSN 0009–4293

In the Footsteps of Alfred Werner: The Institute of Inorganic at the

Roger Alberto, Greta R. Patzke, Roland K. O. Sigel, and Heinz G. Berke*

Abstract: has a long-standing tradition at the University of Zurich starting with Carl Jacob Löwig, the first professor of chemistry. The influence of winner Alfred Werner in coordination, organo- metallic, and bioinorganic chemistry extends right up to the present day as can be seen in many of the research fields of the current professors and young research scientists. With all due respect for the long tradition in inorganic chemistry the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry is also looking forwards to define its role to meet the challenges of the future. Keywords: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry UZH · Werner, A.

175 years of Inorganic Chemistry at ordination compounds and by doing so laid the University of Zurich the foundations for a persistent theory of the major area of transition metal chemis- Inorganic Chemistry has a long-standing try. He thus may not only be considered the tradition at the University of Zurich. Sur- founder of coordination chemistry honored veying its history one has to begin with Carl with the Nobel Prize in 1913, but also as the Jacob Löwig who was the first chemistry father of many related chemical disciplines, professor at the University of Zurich start- such as organometallic chemistry, the fields ing at its foundation in 1833. In those early of coordination polymers and bioinorganic years of chemistry the distinction between coordination chemistry as they are still ‘inorganic’ and ‘organic’ chemistry was nowadays present as research disciplines not yet in common use. (‘Unorganische of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of Chemie’ denoting inorganic chemistry was Carl Jacob Löwig (1803–1890), the fi rst Chemistry the University of Zurich. coined by Friedrich Wöhler only in 1828.) Professor at the University of Zurich worked on After Werner’s death in 1919 and with tetraethyl lead the appointment of in 1920,

Carl Jacob Löwig’s work covered all chem- istry. Nevertheless he is one of the co-dis- coverers of bromine, an inorganic , and he worked on tetraethyl lead, one of the first organometallic compounds ever prepared. After Carl Jacob Löwig, inorganic chemistry at the University of Zurich was somewhat neglected until the coordination Alfred Werner entered the stage as Professor of Chemistry of the University of Zurich in 1889. Coming from the ETH Zurich and trained as an organic chemist, Alfred Werner switched research directions to eventually revolutionize coordination * Correspondence: Prof. Dr. H. Berke Institute of Inorganic Chemistry chemistry by introducing stereochemical University of Zürich views of organic chemistry, views in three Winterthurerstrasse 190 dimensions, to this principal field of inor- CH-8057 Zurich Fax: +41 44 635 6802 ganic chemistry. He was the first chemist to Alfred Werner (1866 – 1919), Nobel Prize Laureate E-mail, [email protected]; www.aci.uzh.ch deal with a correct chemical picture of co- 1913 for coordination chemistry theory 175th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH 112 CHIMIA 2008, 62, No. 3 there was again no specialist for inorganic University of Würzburg in 1975. In 1978 tarily a current total of five research groups chemistry in the Chemistry Institute. Un- John Ammeter was appointed as Associate headed by professors and five young sci- fortunately, the opportunity was not taken Professor, but quit his position in 1985. John entists’ groups. All of them are working in at that time to establish a separate Institute Günter then joined the Institute as Assistant some relationship to Alfred Werner’s chem- of Inorganic Chemistry alongside the newly Professor in 1981, became Associate Profes- istry in the special fields of radiopharma- created Institute of Physical Chemistry. The sor in 1990 and retired in 1999. ceutical, bioinorganic and organometallic main lecture courses in inorganic chemistry After some paucity in the second chemistry to forge links to medicine, biol- were given by Karrer until his retirement in chaired position Heinz Berke came to the ogy, biochemistry and organic chemistry. 1959. However, in 1931 Gerold Schwarzen- University as Full Professor in 1988, and Concomittantly, the fields of solid-state bach was appointed as ‘Abteilungsvorste- took over as Chairman of the Inorganic chemistry and coordination chemistry are her’. Although Gerold Schwarzenbach be- Chemistry Institute in 1991. Heinz Berke’s also included forming sub-disciplines at the came one of the leading inorganic major research field concerns organometal- center of the specialist area. What all these of his generation, during his tenure at the lic chemistry mainly related to the explora- branches of study have in common is their University he was never given the responsi- tion and exploitation of physical properties focus on the chemistry of metals, thus re- bility for the main inorganic lecture course. of organometallic compounds as molecular viving Alfred Werner’s heritage. He was appointed Associate Professor in materials and metal catalysis of organic At many points of its way through his- 1943 and Full Professor in 1947. His reputa- reactions. A special field he has recently tory a chemistry institute with such a long- tiongrewinparticularfrom1945on,through acquired deals with the archaeometry of standing tradition has to reflect on its role his contributions to the modern acid− base ancient blue pigments. After retirement of in society and science, in particular on the theory, and in particular for his studies Hans R. Oswald in 1998, Roger Alberto, occasion of a university anniversary. On on metal complexes using potentiometric from the Paul Scherer Institute (PSI) in this occasion a few substantial questions methods, the quantitative measurement of Würenlingen, was appointed Associate may be raised. metal complex association constants, and Professor in 1999. Working in the fields of Inorganic Chemistry − what does that the discovery of metal-indicators such as coordination and organometallic transition mean nowadays? In the way chemistry eriochrome black. In 1955, however, Ger- metal compounds and their application to presents itself today, the field of inorganic old Schwarzenbach, who can be denoted as radiopharmacy, Roger Alberto’s research is chemistry can now only be seen in historic a true successor of Alfred Werner, received on very close tracks to that ofAlfredWerner. terms. The use of this expression to desig- an offer from the ETH Zurich following his In 2006 he was promoted to Full Professor. nate a discipline is a matter of form. ‘Inor- earlier teacher William Dupré Treadwell, Also along the lines of Alfred Werner, links ganic’ no longer means the ‘chemistry of and so resigned his position at the Univer- of coordination chemistry to biology were non-living matter’but expresses the general sity. Had he remained until the retirement established when Roland Sigel entered the circumstance that inorganic chemistry deals of Paul Karrer, his patience would certainly Institute as an Assistant Professor in 2003 with all chemical elements. Modern inor- have been rewarded with the creation of an characterizing the interaction of metal ions ganic chemistry forges links to many dis- independent Institute of Inorganic Chemis- with RNA, their respective switching and ciplines such as biology, medicine, organic try, and most likely also the mantle of Paul role in catalytic functions. In 2007 the Insti- chemistry, biochemistry, physics, materi- Karrer himself. tute was supplemented by Greta Patzke as als science and many other areas, with the In the year following Gerold Schwarzen- an Assistant Professor for solid-state chem- core discipline ‘still’ existing as such and bach’s move to the ETH, Ernst Schumacher istry. Also demonstrating strong ties with being investigated with many fundamental completed his habilitation in inorganic and the fundamental accomplishments ofAlfred aspects in addition. However, basically it is analytical chemistry at the University. He Werner, Greta Patzke utilizes coordination much more than just the core discipline. was subsequently made Associate Profes- compounds to build in controlled ways sol- What role does inorganic chemistry sor (in 1957) and, after the retirement of ids on the nanometer scale. Most recently play in our everyday life today? Most of Paul Karrer, Full Professor and Director in 2008, Eva Freisinger was promoted to the substances created by human hand and of the newly established Institute of Inor- an Assistant Professor, working in the area shaping everyday life such as silicon chips ganic Chemistry (1959). Under Ernst Schu- of bioinorganic chemistry of metallothion- in computers, in particular materials from macher’s leadership, the research direction eins. The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry metals, magnetic and electrical substances of the new Institute changed more towards presently also hosts very active and ambi- or hard coatings on moving parts in motors, problems in physical-inorganic chemistry. tious young scientists heading their own re- are purely inorganic in nature. Many other The instrumentation within the Institute search groups: Dr. Venkatesan Koushik, Dr. such materials are organometallic. They also improved markedly. However, Ernst Christian Frech , Dr. Dominik Brühwiler, always offer special characteristics which Schumacher became frustrated by delays Dr. Bernhard Spingler and Dr. Felix Zelder. are used by man, for example silicones as in the refurbishment and extension of the They supplement the research fields of the heat-resistant plastics or chromophoric ma- Institute, and in 1964 he accepted an offer Institute with strong activities in timely ar- terials, so-called pigments in car paintwork, from CIBA to become a Director of Re- eas of inorganic chemistry such as molecular and so on.The range of inorganic substances search. In 1966 Hans R. Oswald was ap- light switches, homogeneous catalysis with that transform everyday life for the better is pointed as successor to Ernst Schumacher, transition metal complexes, light harvesting too enormous to list in full. The fundamen- and director of the Institute of Inorganic devices on the basis of mesoporous silica, tal question is to which fields of research Chemistry. In 1968 Helmut Werner, coming the metal-induced chemistry of Z-DNA and and application inorganic substances will from the famous group of Ernst O. Fischer at organometallic photochemistry. contribute substantially? The answer to the Technical University, was appointed Pro- this question will define the directions in fessor of Chemistry to fill the newly estab- which an Inorganic Chemistry Institute will lished second Chair at the Inorganic Chemis- Today’s Research at the Institute of go at present and in future. Contributions try Institute. Helmut Werner was essentially Inorganic Chemistry – in memoriam in the energy sector, e.g. hydrogen storage, an organometallic chemist building bridges Alfred Werner fuel cells, large (lithium) batteries as well between the classical disciplines of organic as catalysts for natural gas into petroleum and inorganic chemistry. Helmut Werner left The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of conversion will certainly belong to these the Institute to take up a professorship at the the University of Zurich thus hosts momen- directions. Corresponding research is cur- 175th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH 113 CHIMIA 2008, 62, No. 3

one. Projects stemming from biologically motivated research are widespread at our institute, always with metal ion complexes as central tools. Well-structured materials such as polyoxometalates serve as building blocks for various purposes or are a tool for understanding and guiding the formation of new structures on the nanoscale, topics which are investigated in two groups at the institute. The indispensable demand for efficient metal-based catalysts further en- hancing the conversion in particular of or- ganic molecules to other refined products, whereby saving energy and avoiding waste, does not need to be emphasized. Returning to purely inorganic compounds, historical blue pigments that played an important role in ancient times, are being prepared and investigated. Due to the rarity of the blue color in nature, such pigments were manu- factured artificially early on in the develop- ment of man, i.e. with the help of chemical processes that have since been lost, but are now being revived at the Institute of Inor- ganic Chemistry. Current Faculty Members at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry: Heinz Berke, Greta Patzke, Roger This quite concise description of re- Alberto and Roland Sigel search projects at the Institute is not com- prehensive but it gives a taste of the fact that our research seizes the challenges of the fu- rently being performed in two groups at studies on the interaction of metal ions with ture by focusing on topics highly relevant the Institute in collaboration with industrial nucleotide based macromolecules – DNA for the future. Being a University Institute, partners. or RNA as well as with proteins. The diag- fundamental research is the base, but appli- Further key issues of research at the nosis and treatment of diseases such as can- cation is the objective. For a relatively small institute revolve around the biological cer will remain a major concern. Only the institute it stands to reason that international role of metals. The Faculty of Natural Sci- understanding of life processes in combi- networking is the only way to be successful. ences, MNF, at the University has decided nation with distinctly designed compounds Accordingly, manifold co-operations exist, recently to focus on life science-related re- will successfully tackle this challenge. Ra- and exclusively through these the objec- search. The improvement of health care by dioactive substances containing metal ions tives are sought to be reached. Indeed, that understanding and controlling fundamental to specifically find and cure cancer are an is how past and future go together at the molecular processes leads, for example, to instrument to that objective but not the only Institute of Inorganic Chemistry.

Received: February 6, 2008