From catalytic hydrogenation to the chemical theory of the catalysis: PaulSabatier, genius chemist, decentralization apostle.

Paul Sabatier received the aggregation degree in the physical science in 18 77 and received his doctorate in the physical science in 1880. In 1884, he was named to the chair of chemistry at Toulouse, when he was thirty, the mi nimum age for the position. Sabatier's initial researches were inorganic st udies within the thermochemical tradition of Berthelot`s laboratory. The Me nd's preparation of nickel carbonyl instigated him to study gaseous molecul es: which might behave analogously to carbon monoxide: he succeeded in 1892 in fixing nitrogen peroxyde on copper, cobalt, nickel and iron. One year l ater he repeated the experience of Moissan and Moureu with unsaturated hydr ocarbons and reduced nickel: he found that ethylene and acetylene were hydr ogenated. With his student, j.-B. Sendert ns, he demonstrated the generalit y of his method to the hydrogenation of non-saturated and aromatic compound s, ketones, aldehydes, phenol, nitriles, nitrites, etc. In contrast of prev ious physical theories, Sabatier postulated that, in catalysis, a temporary , unstable intermediary between the catalyst and one of the reactants forms on the surface of the catalyst. He predicted the reversibility of the reac tion: a catalyst of hydrogenation will be equally one of dehydrogenation. H e was awarded the 1912 Nobel Prize in the same time with Victor Grignard. P aul Sabatier was 3 very reserved man. Elected Professor of chemistry at Tou louse in 1884, he was ever faithful to this town and turned down many offer s of attractive positions in Paris. In 1913, he became the first scientist elected to one of six chairs newly created by the Academy for provincial me mbers. (C) 2000 Academie des sciences/ Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.