Fritz Pregl Austrian chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1923. Date of Birth: 03.09.1869 Country: Austria

Biography of Fritz Pregl

Fritz Pregl was an Austrian chemist and the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1923. He was born into the family of Raymond Pregl, a civil servant in the Treasury, and Frederika Schlaker. After losing his father at a young age, Pregl completed his gymnasium education in Laibach in 1887 and moved with his mother to Graz. He enrolled at the University of Graz and began studying medicine. He showed great talent as a student, and his professor, Alexander Rollett, appointed him as his laboratory assistant.

In 1893, Pregl obtained his medical degree and continued to work in Rollett's laboratory while also practicing as an ophthalmologist. During this time, he developed a growing interest in chemistry, particularly the properties of cholic acid and the high content of carbon-nitrogen compounds in urine. His research in these areas received high recognition, and in 1899, he was offered a lecturer position at the University of Graz in the Department of Physiology.

Driven by his desire to continue his research, Pregl traveled to Germany, where he worked with notable chemists such as Karl Gustav von Hüfner in Tübingen, Wilhelm Ostwald in Leipzig, and Emil Fischer in Berlin. Working with Ostwald, Pregl realized the importance of accurate experimental data in chemistry, and with Fischer, he recognized the need for organic chemists specializing in the analysis of small quantities of natural compounds.

Upon his return to Graz, Pregl analyzed bile acids and delved into the chemistry of proteins. In 1905, he became an assistant professor at the University of Graz's Medical Chemistry Laboratory, and two years later, he became a forensic chemist in Graz.

In 1910, Pregl became a professor of medical chemistry at the University of Innsbruck. He processed over 100 kg of bile for his experiments, which led him to discover a previously unknown substance weighing 400 mg that required further investigation. Faced with the challenge of either processing tons of material or developing new analysis methods, Pregl chose the latter. He recognized the need for improved analytical methods in organic chemistry.

Pregl's initial development of microanalysis methodology required approximately 10,000 weighings. He started with scales capable of weighing to 0.01 mg but soon realized the need for more sensitive scales. By perfecting the scales designed by German chemist W.G. Kühlmanny, Pregl increased their accuracy tenfold.

To analyze molecules containing elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, Pregl invented a special filter that retained all but carbon dioxide and water. He further refined his methods and created microanalytical techniques for the study of organic groups, including halogens, carboxyl groups, and methyl groups. He also developed miniature apparatuses made of glass, allowing the determination of molecular mass based on boiling point.

By 1911, Pregl was applying his analysis methods to samples weighing between 7 and 13 milligrams, and two years later, he achieved analysis with as little as 3 milligrams. He also reduced the time required for chemical analysis to just one hour, more than three times faster than previous methods. Pregl successfully modified the Liebig method, allowing for faster and more accurate microanalysis with significantly smaller amounts of substances.

In 1913, Pregl returned to the University of Graz as a professor of medical chemistry. He became the dean of the Medical Faculty in 1916 and served as its vice-chancellor from 1920. Throughout this time, he continued to improve and simplify microanalysis methods, successfully working with serums, bile acids, and various enzymes.

In 1923, Pregl was awarded the Nobel Prize for his invention of microanalysis methods for organic substances. In his Nobel lecture, he expressed his hope that microanalysis would find many more applications in the future, opening up broad possibilities for scientific knowledge.

Pregl's laboratory became a global center for organic microanalysis. Prior to his passing, he donated a significant sum of money to the Austrian Academy of Sciences to establish a prize for achievements in microchemistry, which now bears his name.

Works:
- "Quantitative Organic Microanalysis" (English translation), Moscow-Leningrad, 1934.
- "Die Quantitative Organische Mikroanalyse" (German), Berlin, 1917.