Walther Nernst was a pioneering German physical chemist whose foundational work transformed our understanding of energy and matter at the molecular level. Born in Briesen, Prussia in 1864, he established his academic career at the University of Göttingen where he founded the Institute for Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry in 1894. In 1905, he accepted a prestigious professorship at the University of Berlin, where he served as Director of the Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut and became a permanent member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. His leadership extended beyond the laboratory as he was elected Rector of Berlin University for 1921-1922 and later served as President of the Physical-Technical Reichs Institute from 1922 to 1924. Nernst's distinguished career culminated in his retirement in 1933 after more than four decades of groundbreaking scientific contributions.
Nernst's most significant contribution was the formulation of the heat theorem, later recognized as the third law of thermodynamics, which he proposed in 1905 and published in 1906. This revolutionary principle established that the entropy of a perfect crystal approaches zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero, enabling chemists to calculate absolute values of entropy and free energy for chemical reactions. His earlier development of the Nernst equation in 1887 provided the fundamental relationship between electrode potential and ion concentration, becoming an indispensable tool in electrochemistry. Additionally, Nernst made important contributions to photochemistry through his atom chain reaction theory in 1918 and invented the Nernst lamp, an early electric light source that utilized ceramic conductors at high temperatures. These theoretical and practical innovations cemented his reputation as one of the founders of modern physical chemistry.
Beyond his personal research, Nernst profoundly shaped the scientific landscape through his organizational leadership and mentorship. He co-organized the landmark First Solvay Conference in Physics in 1911, which brought together Europe's leading physicists to evaluate quantum theory, and personally recruited Albert Einstein to Berlin in 1913, recognizing the significance of his work early on. Nernst established funding mechanisms to support young scientists and created influential educational resources, including his seminal monograph 'Die theoretischen und experimentellen Grundlagen des neuen Wärmesatzes' which was translated into English as 'The New Heat Theorem.' His visionary work continues to underpin modern thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and solid-state physics, with the principles he established remaining essential to contemporary research in energy conversion, materials science, and chemical engineering. The enduring relevance of Nernst's contributions was recognized through his Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1920 and his lasting legacy as one of the most influential physical chemists in history.
