Harold Urey

Pioneering physical chemist known for isotope research and abiogenesis theories.

Chronology: 1893-04-29 – 1981-01-05

Origins & Early Life

Harold Clayton Urey ( YOOR-ee; April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American physical chemist who conducted pioneering work on isotopes. He earned the 1934 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his discovery of heavy hydrogen." He played a significant role in the development of the atom bomb, as well as contributing to theories on the development of organic life from non-living matter. Born in Walkerton, Indiana, Urey studied thermodynamics under Gilbert N. Lewis at the University of California, Berkeley.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

After he received his PhD in 1923, he was awarded a fellowship by the American-Scandinavian Foundation to study at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen. He was a research associate at Johns Hopkins University from 1924 to 1929, before becoming an associate professor of chemistry at Columbia University. In 1931, he began work with the separation of isotopes that resulted in the discovery of deuterium. During World War II, Urey turned his knowledge of isotope separation to the problem of uranium enrichment. He headed the group located at Columbia University that developed isotope separation using gaseous diffusion.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The method was successfully developed, becoming the sole method used...

Source: Wikipedia