George Hevesy: Pioneering Chemist and Nobel Laureate

Hevesy George Charles von (1885-1966) was a Hungarian-born Swedish chemist renowned for his pioneering work on radioactive tracers, which earned him the 1943 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Born into affluence, he was the son of a wealthy industrialist and received his PhD from the University of Freiburg in 1908. Despite a career marked by frequent disruptions due to war and politics, Hevesy made significant contributions to the field of chemistry across seven different countries.

After brief stints in Zurich and Karlsruhe, Hevesy joined the eminent scientist Ernest Rutherford in Manchester. There, he was tasked with the challenging job of separating radioactive radium D from lead. Given that radium D is an isotope of lead, traditional chemical methods failed. However, this apparent failure led to a groundbreaking realization: if radioactive lead and ordinary lead were chemically indistinguishable, the radioisotope could serve as a tracer to monitor lead’s path through complex systems. By 1923, Hevesy demonstrated how radioactive lead could label salts absorbed by plants. By 1934, using radioactive phosphorus, he successfully applied his tracer technique to animals, revolutionizing biological and medical research by enabling the study of dynamic processes within living organisms.

Hevesy’s career was a testament to resilience and adaptability. After leaving Manchester in 1913, he moved to the University of Vienna. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 prompted his return to Budapest. Post-war, he worked in Copenhagen from 1920 to 1926 before accepting the chair in physical chemistry at the University of Freiburg. The rise of Hitler’s regime forced Hevesy to flee Germany in 1934, returning to Denmark. In 1942, the advancing threat of the Nazis once again compelled him to seek refuge, this time in Sweden, where he completed his academic career.

Apart from his work on radioactive tracers, Hevesy is also credited with the discovery of the element hafnium in 1923, in collaboration with Dirk Coster. This discovery was significant as hafnium was the last element predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic table to be found in nature, underscoring the accuracy of the periodic law and filling a crucial gap in the periodic table.

Hevesy’s contributions extend beyond his technical achievements; his work laid the foundation for modern nuclear medicine and biological research, showcasing how scientific inquiry can transcend political and social upheavals. His legacy is a testament to the enduring impact of scientific perseverance and innovation.
George Hevesy: Pioneering Chemist and Nobel Laureate