Max Volmer Biography

Max Volmer was a German scientist who specialised in the field of physical chemistry and is credited for laying the foundations for phenomenological kinetic electrochemistry with his work on the Butler-Volmer equation. He studied at the Phillips University of Marburg and subsequently went on to study at the University of Leipzig, from where he was awarded his doctorate. He taught at the University of Leipzig and within two years of taking up the teaching position he became a Privatdozent. He was involved in military-related research at the Physical Chemistry Institute at the Friedrich-Wilhelms University and also worked in the research wing of an well-known German industrial firm named Auergesellschaft. Subsequently, he built the mercury steam ejector in collaboration with Otto Stern and co-authored a paper with him which resulted in the attribution of the Stern–Volmer equation and constant. He taught at some of the best known educational institutions in Germany, including the University of Hamburg and the Technische Hochshule Berlin. From 1945 to 1955, he spent his time as a researcher in Russia and helped the country with plenty of research programmes and subsequently he was honoured by the Russians with an award. He taught at the Humboldt University of Berlin after coming back to East Germany.