May 20, 1900 - Birth of Erika Cremer, tireless in her research on gas chromatography

He enrolled at the University of Berlin to study chemistry and was able to attend lectures by Fritz Haber, Walther Nernst, Max Planck, Max von Laue, and Albert Einstein. He received his doctorate magna cum laude in 1927, under the supervision of Max Bodenstein (the first to postulate a chain reaction mechanism).

During his professional career:

• Studied the kinetics of the hydrogen-chlorine reaction.
• Analysed quantum theoretical problems in photochemistry.
• Investigated the conversion of hydrogen and ortho-hydrogen in a spin state into para-hydrogen.
• Collaborated with Otto Hahn in studying trace amounts of radioactive compounds.
• Isotope separation.
• Investigated the hydrogenation of acetylene.
• Developed mathematical relationships equations and instrumentation for the first gas chromatograph.
• Developed a method for qualitative and quantitative measurements and analysis related to the gas chromatograph.
• Together with her students: they coined the concept ‘relative retention time’, developed how to calculate the peak area by multiplying the peak height by the peak width at half the height in gas chromatography, and demonstrated the relationship between measurement and column temperature, and also invented headspace analysis.

If you want to know more about this scientist, click on the link below: Erika Cremer