Niels Bjerrum
Encyclopedia
Niels Janniksen Bjerrum, born March 11, 1879 in Copenhagen
, died September 30, 1958, was a Danish
chemist
.
Niels Bjerrum was the son of opthamologist Jannik Petersen Bjerrum, and started to study at University of Copenhagen
in 1897. He received his Master's degree in 1902 and his Doctor's degree in 1908, and did research in coordination complex chemistry under Sophus Mads Jørgensen
. He became a docent
in 1912, and in 1914 he became professor of chemistry at the Royal Agricultural College (Landbohøjskolen) in Copenhagen, as successor of Odin Tidemand Christensen. He stayed on this post until his retirement in 1949, and from 1939 to 1946 he was also the Director of the College.
He is noted for the theory behind the Bjerrum length
.
His son Jannik Bjerrum (1909–1992) became also a chemist and was active in the area of complex chemistry.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, died September 30, 1958, was a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
.
Niels Bjerrum was the son of opthamologist Jannik Petersen Bjerrum, and started to study at University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
in 1897. He received his Master's degree in 1902 and his Doctor's degree in 1908, and did research in coordination complex chemistry under Sophus Mads Jørgensen
Sophus Mads Jørgensen
Sophus Mads Jørgensen was a Danish chemist. He is considered one of the founders of coordination chemistry, and is known for the debates which he had with Alfred Werner during 1893-1899. While Jørgensen's theories on coordination chemistry were ultimately proven to be incorrect, his experimental...
. He became a docent
Docent
Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...
in 1912, and in 1914 he became professor of chemistry at the Royal Agricultural College (Landbohøjskolen) in Copenhagen, as successor of Odin Tidemand Christensen. He stayed on this post until his retirement in 1949, and from 1939 to 1946 he was also the Director of the College.
He is noted for the theory behind the Bjerrum length
Bjerrum length
The Bjerrum length is the separation at which the electrostatic interaction between twoelementary charges is comparable in magnitude to the thermal energy scale,...
.
His son Jannik Bjerrum (1909–1992) became also a chemist and was active in the area of complex chemistry.