Helmut Ringsdorf (30 July 1929 – 20 March 2023) was a German polymer chemist. His work promoted cross-disciplinary discussions and collaborations in the field of polymer chemistry, biology, physics and medicine.

Ringsdorf's major research works deal with the self-assembly of polymers into functional aggregates, where 'the whole is more than the sum of its parts'. He is known for being the first to propose covalently bonding drugs to water-soluble polymers.^[1]

Personal life

Ringsdorf was born in Gießen, People's State of Hesse in 1929.^[2][3]

Ringsdorf died on 20 March 2023, at the age of 93.^[4]

Education

Ringsdorf took undergraduate studies in Chemistry, Politics and Geology at the universities at Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Freiburg.^[2][3]

In 1956, Ringsdorf wrote his master's thesis under Hermann Staudinger and, in 1958, wrote his doctoral dissertation under Staudinger and Elfriede Husemann. He was Staudinger's last student.^[5]

Postgraduate work

1960, Research Associate, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brooklyn/United States, Polymer Science.

1959, Teaching Assistant, University of Freiburg, Germany, Polymer Chemistry.

Appointments/Affiliations

2001–2005 Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Cardiff/Wales, United Kingdom

1995–2000 Courtauld Visiting Professor, University of California, Los Angeles United States

1994–2000 Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy, University of London, London, United Kingdom

1988–2003 Adjunct Professor of Poly. Sci., Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China

1973–1975 Dean of Science University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany

1971–1994 Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany

1969–1970 Professor of Polymer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

1967–1968 Associate Professor University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

1962–1967 Assistant Professor University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany

Honors and awards

2003 Abbé-Lectureship University of Jena, Jena, Germany

2002 Prize for Technology a. Appl. Science C.F.-Pastor-Foundation, Aachen/München, Germany

2001 Friendship Award of the P.R.China Beijing, P.R.China

2000 Honored Member of the Liquid Crystal Society LC-Society; Shinshu University, Japan

2000 Rohm and Haas Polymer Lecturer University of California, Berkeley

1999 Doctor Honoris Causa ETH Zurich

1998 Distinguished Shipley Lecturer Clarkson University

1997 Eminent Scientist of RIKEN, RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Tokyo

1997 E. Gordon Young Memorial Lectureship The Chemical Institute of Canada

1996 Centenary Lectureship Award Royal Society of Chemistry, UK

1996 A. Cruikshank Lecture Award in Chemical Sciences Gordon Conferences

1996 Distinguished Professorship Kyoto University

1996 Pierre Duhem Lectures University of Bordeaux, France

1996 Otto M. Smith Lecture Oklahoma State University

1996 Rushmer Lecture University of Washington

1996 Aggarwal Lectures Cornell University, Ithaca

1995 Doctor Honoris Causa University of Dublin, Trinity College

1995 Pirkey Lecture University of Texas

1994 ACS-Award in Polymer Chemistry American Chemical Society

1994 Rothschild Professor Curie Institute, Paris

1994 Ziegler-Natta Lectureship Italian Chemical Society

1994 G.M.J. Schmidt Lecture Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

1993 Japanese Polymer Award Society of Polymer Science, Tokyo

1993 Doctor Honoris Causa Université Paris, Paris-Sud

1993 Chevalier l'ordre des Palmes Acad. Palmes Acad., Paris

1993 Miles Lectureship University of Pittsburgh

1992 G. Smets Chair in Polymer Science Universities of Leuven

1992 A. von Humboldt Award Ministere Français de la Recherche

1992 C.B. Purves Lectures McGill University

1992 Melvin Calvin Lectureship University of California, Berkeley

1991 German-Dartmouth Distinguished Professorship Dartmouth College, Hanover

1990 O.K. Rice Lectures University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

1990 CMSE- Distinguished Visiting Scholarship Massachusetts Institute of Technology

1990 IBM-Research Centre Lectureship IBM, San José

1989 IMS-Distinguished Lectureship University of Connecticut

1988 Chaire Francqui University of Liège

1987 Frontiers in Chemistry Lectureship Case Western Reserve University

1987 Mobay Lectures/P. Debye Lectureship Cornell University

1986 Semon Lectureship University of Kent

1985 H. Staudinger Award for Polym. Sci. German Chemical Society

1982 R.T. Major Lectureship University of Connecticut

1981 JSPS-Fellowship for Polymer Science Jap. Soc. for Promotion of Sci., Tokyo

1980 H.F. Mark Award for Polymer Science Austrian Chemical Society, Vienna

1969 K. Winnacker Award Farbwerke Hoechst, Frankfurt

1960 Carl Duisberg Fellowship Duisberg Foundation, Bonn

Memberships

1999 Russian Academy of Science, Moscow Foreign Member

1998– Conseil National de La Science, Ministere de l'Education, de la Rescherche et de la Technologie Member Advisory Board, Paris

1991 Nordrh.-Westf. Academy of Science Corresponding Member

1990–1993 German Fonds der Chemie Scientific Committee

1989–1994 Committee Scientifique, Paris Member

1985–1992 Academy of Science, Berlin/DDR Foreign Member

1979 Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz Member

1978–1984 Member of the World Health Organization's Committee on Fertility Regulation

1976–1989 DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Committee for Scientific Exchange

1976–1979 German Fonds der Chemie Scientific Committee

1971–1976 A. von Humboldt Foundation Member Foundation Committee

Research interests

Field of Expertise & Research Interests: Polymer Science as a Bridge between Material Science and Life Science.

Molecular Architecture and Functionalization of Polymeric Liquid Crystals: Synthesis, structure and property of liquid crystalline side group and main chain polymers; variation of the type of mesogens (rods, discs, boards) and variation of phases. Dye containing and photoreactive liquid crystalline polymers for reversible information storage and non linear optic materials. Phase induction and phase variation of liquid crystalline systems via Charge-Transfer-interaction and metal complexation. Photoconductive discotic systems.

Synthesis, Structure and Properties of Functional Supramolecular Systems: Polymerizable and functional amphiphiles (detergents, lipids), polymeric monolayers and multilayers via the Langmuir-Blodgett technique and via self-assembly on various surfaces. Liposomes, Black Lipid Membranes, mobile supported bilayers, H-bond induced band structures in water, organization and recognition induced functionality. Multicompartment polymer micelles.

Attempts to Mimic Biomembrane Processes: Synthetic and natural receptors in molecular assemblies; molecular recognition, 2D-crystallization and function of proteins on monolayers and liposomes, e.g. lectins, streptavidin, monoclonal antibodies, phospholipase A2 and acetylcholinesterase, tailoring of bioreactive surfaces; mixed protein multilayers. Protein–DNA-interaction at ligand lipid monolayers.

Polymers as Active Agents in the Medical Field: Polymer Therapeutics, Polymer radiation prophylactics, polymeric antitumour agents on a molecular and a cellular level.

References