Sir Eric Keightley Rideal (11 April 1890 – 25 September 1974Rideal, Sir Eric Keightley (1890–1974) rev., D. D. Eley, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004. Retrieved 17 February 2011) was a British
physical chemist
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mecha ...
. He worked on a wide range of subjects, including
electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between Electric potential, electrical potential difference and identifiable chemical change. These reactions involve Electron, electrons moving via an electronic ...
,
chemical kinetics
Chemical kinetics, also known as reaction kinetics, is the branch of physical chemistry that is concerned with understanding the rates of chemical reactions. It is different from chemical thermodynamics, which deals with the direction in which a ...
,
catalysis
Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...
,
electrophoresis
Electrophoresis is the motion of charged dispersed particles or dissolved charged molecules relative to a fluid under the influence of a spatially uniform electric field. As a rule, these are zwitterions with a positive or negative net ch ...
,
colloid
A colloid is a mixture in which one substance consisting of microscopically dispersed insoluble particles is suspended throughout another substance. Some definitions specify that the particles must be dispersed in a liquid, while others exte ...
s and
surface chemistry
Surface science is the study of physics, physical and chemistry, chemical phenomena that occur at the interface (chemistry), interface of two phase (matter), phases, including solid–liquid interfaces, solid–gas interfaces, solid–vacuum int ...
Keith J. Laidler
Keith James Laidler (January 3, 1916 – August 26, 2003), born in England, was notable as a pioneer in chemical kinetics and authority on the physical chemistry of enzymes.
Education
Laidler received his early education at Liverpool College. H ...
, 1993, p. 445 He is best known for the Eley–Rideal mechanism, which he proposed in 1938 with Daniel D. Eley.Sir Eric Keightly Rideal The UCL Periodic Table of the Lecturers, UCL website. Retrieved 18 February 2011 He is also known for the textbook that he authored, ''An Introduction to Surface Chemistry'' (1926), and was awarded honours for the research he carried out during both World Wars and for his services to chemistry.
Early years
Eric Keightley Rideal was born on 11 April 1890 in
Sydenham Sydenham may refer to:
Places Australia
* Sydenham, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
** Sydenham railway station, Sydney
* Sydenham, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
** Sydenham railway line, the name of the Sunbury railway line, Melbourne un ...
, which at that time was part of the county of Kent. His father was chemist Samuel Rideal, whose work on water purification and disinfection included the Rideal–Walker test. His mother was Elizabeth Keightley, daughter of Samuel Keightley. Rideal was educated at Farnham Grammar School, Surrey, and then at
Oundle School
Oundle School is a public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school, boarding and day school) for pupils 11–18 situated in the market town of Oundle in Northamptonshire ...
, Northamptonshire.Sir Eric K. Rideal (1890–1974) by D. D. Eley, in ''Advances in Catalysis'' (Eley and Weisz, 1977), pp.xiii–xv In 1907 he won a scholarship in Natural Sciences to
Trinity Hall, Cambridge
Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...
. After graduating in 1910, he continued his studies in Germany, obtaining his PhD in chemistry in 1912 at the
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...
under
Richard Anschütz
Carl Johann Philipp Noé Richard Anschütz (10 March 1852 – 8 January 1937) was a German organic chemist.
When
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out, Rideal was working on water supplies in
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, an assignment that had come to him through his father. He returned home and enlisted with the
Artists Rifles
The 21 Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Reserve), historically known as The Artists Rifles, is a regiment of the British Army Reserve. Its name is abbreviated to 21 SAS(R).
Raised in London in 1859 as a volunteer light infantry unit, ...
, eventually serving on the Western Front at the Somme in 1916 with the
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...
. He was invalided home the same year after an outbreak of dysentery, and spent the rest of the war carrying out research in catalysis at
University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
Hugh Stott Taylor
Sir Hugh Stott Taylor (6 February 1890 – 17 April 1974) was an English chemist primarily interested in catalysis.Who Was Who, Published by A&C Black Limited In 1925, in a landmark contribution to catalytic theory, Taylor suggested that a cat ...
, co-authoring ''Catalysis in Theory and Practice'' (1919), described as a "seminal" work in the field.
Rideal was made MBE in 1918 for his war work.
Career and research
Following the war, Rideal went to the US in 1919 to take a position for a year as visiting professor at the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...
, a position for which he had been recommended by James Kendall. He then returned to the UK to take up a fellowship at his old college (Trinity Hall), and the Humphrey Owen Jones lectureship in physical chemistry at Cambridge. It was on the return voyage from the US by ship in 1920 that he met his future wife Peggy (Margaret Atlee Jackson), whom he married the following year.
Rideal remained at Cambridge for the next 26 years, becoming Professor of Colloid Science in 1930, the same year he was made a
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
. During this time, he founded the Colloid Science Laboratory which became a world centre for surface science, and was used for war work during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Rideal's students at Cambridge included the physicist and future novelist C. P. Snow, and the future Nobel laureate Ronald G. W. Norrish. Snow later depicted Rideal in two of his novels: ''The Search'' (1934) and ''
Strangers and Brothers
''Strangers and Brothers'' is a series of novels by C. P. Snow, published between 1940 and 1970. They deal with – among other things – questions of political and personal integrity, and the mechanics of exercising power.
Plot
All eleve ...
'' (1940). Rideal's career at Cambridge was disrupted by an operation in 1936 for an intestinal tumour, an operation that left him with a
colectomy
Colectomy (''wikt:colo-#Prefix, col-'' + ''wikt:-ectomy#Suffix, -ectomy'') is the surgical removal of any extent of the Large intestine#Structure, colon, the longest portion of the large bowel. Colectomy may be performed for prophylactic, curativ ...
and dissuaded him from applying for the vacant chair of physical chemistry in 1937.
Following World War II, Rideal left Cambridge to take up the position of
Fullerian Professor of Chemistry
The Fullerian Chairs at the Royal Institution in London, England, were established by John 'Mad Jack' Fuller.
Fullerian Professors of Chemistry
* 1833 Michael Faraday
* 1868 William Odling
* 1874 John Hall Gladstone
* 1877 James Dewar
* 1923 Wi ...
at the
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain (often the Royal Institution, Ri or RI) is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the City of Westminster. It was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, inc ...
in London (1946 to 1949). This was followed by a period at
King's College London
King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
(1950 to 1955). After his retirement in 1955, Rideal took up a position as senior research fellow at
Imperial College
Imperial College London, also known as Imperial, is a public research university in London, England. Its history began with Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, who envisioned a cultural district in South Kensington that included museums ...
, enabling him to write the book ''Concepts in Catalysis'' (1968). It is estimated that over a period of some 60 years, Rideal authored or co-authored nearly 300 papers and a dozen books.
During his career, Rideal also gave a number of public lectures. These included the Cantor Lecture of the
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...
(1921, 1924 and 1948). He also delivered the 1932 Robert Boyle Lecture, titled 'On some aspects of adsorption'. In 1947, Rideal gave the
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic each, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including yo ...
, entitled 'Chemical Reactions: How They Work'.
In 1949, Rideal was one of the founding editors of the journal ''Advances in Catalysis''.
Awards and honours
Rideal was awarded the
Davy Medal
The Davy Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "for an outstandingly important recent discovery in any branch of chemistry". Named after Humphry Davy, the medal is awarded with a monetary gift, initially of £1000 (currently £2000). Re ...
of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
in 1951 "For his distinguished contributions to the subject of surface chemistry".
He was
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed on 1 August 1939 by the Ministry of Supply Act 1939 ( 2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 38) to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Ministe ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.Eric Rideal Notable Chemists section, Society of Chemical Industry website. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
Also in 1951, he delivered the
Bakerian Lecture
The Bakerian Medal is one of the premier medals of the Royal Society that recognizes exceptional and outstanding science. It comes with a medal award and a prize lecture. The medalist is required to give a lecture on any topic related to physical ...
with the title 'On Reactions in Monolayers'. Between 1951 and 1967 Rideal received honorary degrees from the universities of Dublin, Birmingham, Brunel, Belfast, Turin, and Bonn.
He was President of the
Faraday Society The Faraday Society was a British society for the study of physical chemistry, founded in 1903 and named in honour of Michael Faraday. In 1980, it merged with several similar organisations, including the Chemical Society, the Royal Institute of Che ...
(1938 to 1945),The Chemical Society 1944 to 1980 RCS presidents, Royal Society of Chemistry website. Retrieved 19 February 2011. the
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit".
Offices
The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...
(1945 to 1946),Rideal, Eric Keightley
Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography
The ''Dictionary of Scientific Biography'' is a scholarly reference work that was published from 1970 through 1980 by publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, with main editor the science historian Charles Gillispie, from Princeton University. It consi ...
. 2008. Retrieved 18 February 2011 from Encyclopedia.com and the
Chemical Society
The Chemical Society was a scientific society formed in 1841 (then named the Chemical Society of London) by 77 scientists as a result of increased interest in scientific matters. Chemist Robert Warington was the driving force behind its creation.
...
(1950 to 1952). He was elected a Fellow of King's College London in 1963.RIDEAL, Sir Eric Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
Later years
Rideal died on 25 September 1974 in
West Kensington
West Kensington, formerly North End, is an area in the ancient parish of Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, England, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) west of Charing Cross. It covers most of the London postal area of W14, includ ...
, London. His obituary was published in ''The Times''.
Legacy
Rideal's name is still honoured today, with bursaries, grants, lectures and conferences named for him. The travel bursaries are administered jointly in the form of the Rideal Trust by the
Royal Society of Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom with the goal of "advancing the chemistry, chemical sciences". It was formed in 1980 from the amalgamation of the Chemical Society, the ...
and the Society of Chemical Industry.
The Tadion–Rideal Prize for Molecular Science is an annual grant awarded by King's College London since 1983.
The Sir Eric Rideal Lecture is a lectureship awarded every year since 1970 by the Society of Chemical Industry.
The Rideal Conference is a triennial UK research conference on surface science and catalysis. It started in 1962 as the Chemisorption and Catalysis Conference and was renamed in his honour in 1971, with the 19th conference scheduled to take place in March 2018.2018 Rideal Conference , conference website, Catalysis Hub. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
Selected works
*''Catalysis in Theory and Practice'' (1919, co-author)
*''Industrial electrometallurgy'' (1919)
*''Ozone'' (1920)
*''An Introduction to Surface Chemistry'' (1926)
*''Interfacial Phenomena'' (1963, co-author)
*''Concepts in Catalysis'' (1968)
*''Sixty Years of Chemistry'' (1970)