Quick Facts
GeminiBiography
John Ulric Nef (Johann Ulrich Nef; June 14, 1862 – August 13, 1915) was a Swiss-born American chemist and the discoverer of the Nef reaction and Nef synthesis.
Life
His parents emigrated from Switzerland to the United States where Nef studied chemistry at Harvard University until 1884. Upon graduation, he joined Adolf von Baeyer at the University of Munich where he received his Ph.D. in 1887.
He was a Professor at Purdue University from 1887 till 1889 and at Clark University from 1889 till 1892. He spent the rest of his academic career at the University of Chicago.
His son John Ulric Nef (1899–1988) became a Professor of Economic History and published several books.
Work
The discovery of the Nef reaction and the papers about divalent carbon (carbenes) were his major achievements.
