Dehydration, Dienes, High Octane, and High Pressures: Contributions from Vladimir Nikolaevich Ipatieff, a Father of Catalysis

Vladimir Nikolaevich Ipatieff contributed significantly to the birth of catalysis, first in Russia, then in Chicago at Northwestern University and UOP, and provided a strong base from which those of us practicing now continue to build. Among the discoveries in which he participated are the dehydration of alcohols to alkenes including ethanol to ethylene, the elucidation of the structure of isoprene, methods of butadiene synthesis, catalysts for hydrogenation, and the discovery and commercialization of oligomerization, paraffin alkylation, and acid-catalyzed aromatic alkylation. These discoveries and his enduring contributions in the form of the Ipatieff Prize and student education have ensured Ipatieff’s place in the chronicle of catalysis.