Dr. Gernot Frenking is a distinguished theoretical chemist whose pioneering contributions have profoundly shaped the modern understanding of chemical bonding principles. Born in Körbecke on January 23, 1946, he completed his chemistry studies at the Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University Aachen, earning his diploma in 1973. Following research with Nobel laureate Prof. Kenichi Fukui in Kyoto, he pursued doctoral work at the Technical University Berlin, completing his PhD in 1979 with a thesis on semiempirical calculations of phosphorous(III) compounds. After completing his habilitation at TU Berlin in 1984, he joined Philipps-Universität Marburg as a C3-Professor in 1990, advancing to C4-Professor for Theoretical Chemistry in 1998, a position he held until his formal retirement in 2014.
Professor Frenking's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced theoretical understanding of chemical bonding, particularly in main-group compounds and transition metal complexes with unusual bonding patterns. His seminal work on dative bonding mechanisms and analysis of molecules possessing unconventional bonds has provided essential frameworks for interpreting complex chemical phenomena across multiple subdisciplines. His influential publications in Chemical European Journal, International Journal of Quantum Chemistry, and Molecular Physics have established new paradigms for understanding quadruple bonds between main-group atoms and the critical role of d orbitals in covalent interactions of heavier elements. His critical examination of Linus Pauling's influence on chemical bonding theory has sparked important scholarly discourse while his comprehensive analyses of alkaline-earth atom valence orbitals have resolved long-standing theoretical questions in the field.
Despite entering formal retirement in April 2014, Professor Frenking remains actively engaged in research as professor emeritus at Philipps-Universität Marburg, while also serving as Ikerbasque Visiting Research Professor at the Donostia International Physics Center in San Sebastian and as Visiting Research Professor at Nanjing Tech University in China. His distinguished career has been recognized with numerous prestigious honors including the Hans-Hellman Research Professurship Award in 2012, the Richard W. Bader Memorial Lecture in 2013, the Honorary Professorship from Nanjing Tech University in 2016, the International Solvay Chair in Chemistry in 2019, and the Erich-Hückel Preis from the German Chemical Society in 2020. Throughout his career, he has held significant leadership roles including Secretary/Treasurer of WATOC, membership on the DFG review panel for Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, and editorial positions with the Journal of Computational Chemistry. His continued scholarly contributions as an emeritus professor demonstrate an enduring commitment to advancing theoretical chemistry and mentoring the next generation of computational chemists.
