Ахим Мюллер: Жизнь и научный вклад химика

German scientist (1938–2024)

Achim Müller (14 February 1938 – 28 February 2024) was a German chemist. He was Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bielefeld. His research involved mainly the chemistry of transition metals, especially with relation to nanochemistry. His later research related mainly to the synthesis of spherical porous metal oxide nanocapsules Mo132 Keplerates. Müller also worked on simple transition metal sulphur compounds, including related hydrodesulfurization catalysis and a new type of host guest chemistry based on polyoxovanadates

Achim Müller studied chemistry and physics at the University of Göttingen and received there his PhD degree (1965) and the Habilitation (1967). In 1971, he became professor at the University of Dortmund and in 1977 professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Bielefeld. In 2006 he was awarded the Manchot Forschungsprofessur of the Technische Universität München. Müller was a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Polish Academy of Sciences, The Indian National Science Academy, National Academy of Exact Physical and Natural Sciences in Argentina, and Academia Europaea. He has received honorary degrees from the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris as well as the “Profesor Honorario“ of the National University of La Plata. He has also received the Alfred Stock Memorial Prize 2000, Prix Gay Lussac/Humboldt 2001, Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Prize 2001, and the Centenary Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry 2008/9, London. In 2012 he was awarded the prestigious Advanced Grant by the European Research Council (ERC). He was an Honorary Fellow of the Chemical Research Society of India.

His later research related mainly to bottom up pathways towards tailor made spherical porous metal oxide nanocapsules Mo132 Keplerates. Müller's discovery of the molecular giant spheres (Keplerates) of the type Mo132 (diameter ca. 3 nm) and their derivatives, of the wheel shaped cluster Mo154 (Refs.) and hedgehog shaped cluster Mo368). These single molecules are quite large; this can be shown by taking the length of an oxygen molecule with two atoms (length 0.12 nm) as a unit, then considering Mo368 which is 50 times larger. All the mentioned nanomaterials belong to a class commonly termed polyoxometalates and some special ones to the molybdenum blue family; the elucidation by Müller of the chemical nature of molybdenum blue was a real tour de force. There are two older synthetic topics where Achim Müller did pioneering work. This refers to basic simple transition metal sulphur compounds, including related hydrodesulfurization catalysis and a new type of host guest chemistry based on polyoxovanadates The publications of Achim Müller were highlighted many times in the media and related magazines. Important last sentences: “Giant polyoxometalates (POMs) are of particular interest, as they are the largest inorganic molecules ever made, combined with fascinating structures and manifold applications in catalysis, medicine and material sciences. Typically, Müller‘s group has achieved great success in creating giant polyoxomolybdates (POMos) during the past two decades, establishing a series of incredibly large POMos with hundreds of Mo centers, such as {Mo132}, {Mo154}, {Mo176}, {Mo248} and {Mo368}. Especially {Mo368}, with more than 360 Mo atoms, still is the largest POM to date “

These are soluble in water and are very probably one of the most versatile materials regarding applications in nanoscience. and how the latter can be used to remove toxic compounds from water. The compounds are studied worldwide by many groups especially in relation to potential applications in Materials Science (see Ref. another one is chemical adaptability as a new phenomenon. An interesting mathematical treatment of the Keplerates could be developed in relation to spherical viruses and Buckminster Fuller Domes based on Archimedean and Platonic solids. The unique range of potential applications of the Mo132 Keplerates has also been highlighted by several other authors, e. g.: "Thus, Keplerate type capsules represent unique supramolecular objects offering a tunable spatially restricted environment and promising in many domains such as catalysis, electric conductivity, non linear optics, liquid crystals, vesicles and "blackberry" aggregates. a key point to promote confined space engineering." In another publication it is written: "Initiated and led by Müller and co workers, the synthesis and structural characterization of protein sized metal oxide clusters (2 6 nm) have generated great interest in the areas of physics, biology, chemistry, and materials science"; see also regarding a similar comment Ref. Some of the clusters can be obtained by planned synthesis, while the related derivative (also because of the structure of a Keplerate