Otto Ruff

Otto Ruff
Born	December 12, 1871(1871-12-12) Schwäbisch Hall, German Empire
Died	September 17, 1939(1939-09-17) (aged 67) Breslau
Nationality	German
Fields	Chemist
Doctoral advisor	Hermann Emil Fischer
Known for	fluorine chemistry, high temperature and high pressure chemistry
Notable awards	Liebig Medal

Otto Ruff (December 12, 1871 - September 17, 1939) was a German chemist.

Life

Otto Ruff was born in Schwäbisch Hall, Württemberg. After becoming an pharmacist under the supervision of Carl Magnus von Hell (known from the Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky halogenation) at the University of Stuttgart he joined the group of Hermann Emil Fischer at the University of Berlin. Fischer was noted for his work on carbohydrates (sugars) and so Ruff started his career as organic chemist. In 1898 he published his work on the transformation of d-Glucose to d-Arabinose later called the Ruff degradation. Supported by Fischer Ruff became head of the new inorganic department in Berlin. This drastical change in subject benefitted Ruff and during his work on chlorides sulfur compounds. In 1902 he married Meta Richter a pharmacist, from this marriage he had three children. In 1904 he became professor at the University of Danzig and from 1916 he was head of the inorganic department at the University of Breslau. He died three years after his retirement in 1939. His last years of teaching were made miserable by a privatdozent and assistant, Helmut Hartmann, who had joined the Nazi party and became an "insolent politician" who made life unbearable for many.

Scientific achievements

Otto Ruff published 290 papers and two books. The books were: "The Chemistry of Fluorine" (published in 1920 by Springer Verlag, Berlin) and "Introduction to Chemical Practicum" (Leipzig 1926, 2nd edition 1937). His papers can be categorized as follows: chemistry of sugars (17 papers), inorganic chemistry of fluorine (86), high temperature chemistry (44), electrolysis of molten salts (9), plastics (10), carbides (20), explosions in mines (7), other fields of inorganic chemistry (72).^[1]

Along with Svante Arrhenius, Henri Moissan, and Alfred Werner, all of whom received Nobel Prizes, O. Ruff was regarded as the driver of the achievements of inorganic chemistry in first decades of 20 century.

See also

• Ruff degradation

References

1. ^ Website of the Technical University of Gdansk, http://siorpc12.chem.pg.gda.pl/?jezyk=english&co=historia_en.html

• W.Hückel (1940). "Obituary: Otto Ruff 30. 12. 1871 - 17. 9. 1939". Berichte der deutschen chemischen Gesellschaft 73 (12): A125–A156. doi:10.1002/cber.19400731202. 
• Teresa Sokolowska, Romuald Piosik (2004). "Otto Ruff und Alfred Wohl. Professoren der 1904 gegründeten Königlichen Technischen Hochschule zu Danzig". CHEMKON 11 (2): 76–78. doi:10.1002/ckon.200410006. 

Persondata
Name	Ruff, Otto
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 12, 1871
Place of birth	Schwäbisch Hall, German Empire
Date of death	September 17, 1939
Place of death	Breslau