Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Biography

Pierre Gilles de Gennes was a French scientist, well-known for his study of the order phenomena in liquid crystals and polymers. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1991 for the above mentioned work and was described as the ‘Isaac Newton of our time’ by the Nobel committee. Born to a nurse and a physician in Paris, France, he was initially schooled at home and subsequently studied at the Ecole Normale Superieure. Eventually, he became an engineer at Atomic Research Centre and was awarded his doctorate by the institute. He did his post doctoral research in the United States and after working for just over two years for the French Navy, he became a professor at the University of Paris-Sud, Orsay campus. Subsequently, he worked at the College de France as a professor and researcher before going on to become the director of the Ecole Superieure Physique et de Chimie Industrielles. He continued in the latter post for 22 years. His findings in relation to liquid crystals and polymers are considered to be one of the most significant findings in the history of physics.