Paul Sabatier Biography

Paul Sabatier was a French organic chemist known for his research works in catalytic organic synthesis, especially for inventing the role of nickel and other metals as a catalyst in hydrogenation. His research work earned him the ‘Nobel Prize in Chemistry’ in 1912 along with another French chemist Victor Grignard. He played an instrumental role in enabling the use of hydrogenation in the industrial sector. He is also known for the Sabatier principle and for his book ‘La Catalyse en Chimie Organique’. He remained the Professor of Chemistry at the ‘University of Toulose’ for over four decades and later became the ‘Dean of the Faculty of Science’. He was an honorary member of the ‘American Chemical Society’, the ‘Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences’, the ‘Royal Society of London’, and the ‘Academy of Madrid’ among several other foreign institutes. Sabatier was honoured as ‘Commander of the Légion d'Honneur’ and inducted as a member of the ‘French Academy of Sciences’. He received the ‘Prix Lacate’ award in 1897 and the ‘Prix Jecker’ award in 1905. The ‘Royal Society of London’ awarded him the ‘Davy Medal’ in 1915 and the ‘Royal Medal in 1918.