Paul Walden

Paul Walden
Paul Walden
Born(1863-07-26)26 July 1863
Died22 January 1957(1957-01-22) (aged 93)
NationalityGerman
Alma materRiga Technical University
Known forWalden inversion
Walden's rule
Ethylammonium nitrate
AwardsGmelin-Beilstein Medal (1954)
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Rostock

Paul Walden (Latvian: Pauls Valdens; Russian: Павел Иванович Вальден; German: Paul von Walden; 26 July 1863 – 22 January 1957) was a Russian, Latvian and German chemist known for his work in stereochemistry and history of chemistry. In particular, he discovered the Walden rule,[1] he invented the stereochemical reaction known as Walden inversion and synthesized the first room-temperature ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate.[2][3]

  1. ^ Paul Walden (1863–1957): the man behind the Walden inversion, the Walden rule, the Ostwald-Walden-Bredig rule and Ionic liquids. 2019. ChemTexts. 5/1. G. Boeck. doi: 10.1007/s40828-019-0080-9.
  2. ^ Mihkel Koel (2008). Ionic Liquids in Chemical Analysis. CRC Press. p. xxvii. ISBN 978-1-4200-4646-5.
  3. ^ Trevor M. Letcher (2004). Chemical thermodynamics for industry. Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 82. ISBN 0-85404-591-0.