The Ziegler catalysts

Abstract

Fifty-four years after the Nobel Prize was awarded to Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta for the polymerization of olefins by complex organometallic catalysts, the field continues to elicit enormous interest, both from the academia and the industry. Furthermore, this chemistry and technology occupy a high ground in the annals of 20th-century science. The elegance and simplicity of Ziegler’s chemistry continue to astound researchers even today, and the enormous impact this chemistry has had on the quality of our life is truly incredible. Polyethylene, produced using Ziegler’s chemistry has touched every aspect of common man’s life, so much so that, today it is impossible to imagine life on this planet without polyethylene. Equally fascinating is the story of how Ziegler stumbled on this most impactful discovery. Ziegler’s discipline and rigor in systematically following every lead in the laboratory, however trivial it seemed, and his penchant for understanding the basics of science culminated in 1954, with a simple reaction for converting ethylene to polyethylene, the quintessential carbon-carbon (C-C) bond forming reaction. His life and work hold many lessons for all scientists who dream of making their scientific quests useful and relevant to society. It is also relevant to the contemporary debate on basic versus applied research.