Fischer, Ernst Otto (1918-2007), a German organic chemist, carried out research into synthetic compounds of organic substances and metals. In 1951, he determined that the structure of the molecule ferrocene consisted of an iron atom “sandwiched” between two rings of carbons. From this discovery, Fischer was able to synthesize many similar compounds from other organic (carbon-based) compounds. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1973 and shared the prize with British chemist Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson (see Wilkinson, Sir Geoffrey ).
Fischer was born on Nov. 10, 1918, in Solln, near Munich, Germany. He served in the German army during World War II (1939-1945). In 1952, he received a Ph.D. in natural sciences from the University of Munich where, in 1957, he became professor of inorganic chemistry. He also served in the faculties of a number of other German universities and lectured at several universities in the United States. Fischer died on July 23, 2007.
