Herman F. Mark – Pioneer of polymer chemistry and initiator of the gas-phase electron diffraction technique of molecular structure determination

Abstract

Herman F. Mark (1895–1992) was an Austrian-born American pioneer of polymer chemistry. He made substantial discoveries in other areas of chemistry as well. One of them was in 1930, when he and his physicist associate, Raimund Wierl, initiated the gas-phase electron diffraction technique of molecular structure determination. This article follows Mark’s path to establishing the new technique, presents the circumstances of the discovery with emphasis on Wierl’s contribution, and concludes with mentioning Mark’s career in his American life. Mark had a long and most successful professional career and best known for his polymer science. Wierl died young so his role in establishing the technique of gas electron diffraction remained his principal contribution to science.