Helmut Ringsdorf. 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.

Personal life
Ringsdorf was born in Gießen, People's State of Hesse in 1929.

Ringsdorf died on 20 March 2023, at the age of 93.

Education
Ringsdorf took undergraduate studies in Chemistry, Politics and Geology at the universities at Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Freiburg.

In 1956, Ringsdorf wrote his master's thesis under Hermann Staudinger and, in 1958, wrote his doctoral dissertation under Staudinger and . He was Staudinger's last student.

Postgraduate work

 1959, Teaching Assistant, University of Freiburg, Germany, Polymer Chemistry.
 1960, Research Associate, Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brooklyn/United States, Polymer Science.

Appointments/Affiliations

 1962–1967, Assistant Professor University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
 1967–1968, Associate Professor University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
 1969–1970, Professor of Polymer Science, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
 1971–1994, Professor of Organic Chemistry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
 1973–1975, Dean of Science University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
 1988–2003, Adjunct Professor of Poly. Sci., Jilin University, Changchun, People's Republic of China
 1994–2000, Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy, University of London, London, United Kingdom
 1995–2000, Courtauld Visiting Professor, University of California, Los Angeles     United States
 2001–2005, Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy, Cardiff University, Cardiff/Wales,  United Kingdom

Honors and awards

 1960, Carl Duisberg Fellowship – Duisberg Foundation, Bonn
 1969, K. Winnacker Award – Farbwerke Hoechst, Frankfurt
 1980, H.F. Mark Award for Polymer Science – Austrian Chemical Society, Vienna
 1981, JSPS-Fellowship for Polymer Science – Jap. Soc. for Promotion of Sci., Tokyo
 1982, R.T. Major Lectureship – University of Connecticut
 1985, H. Staudinger Award for Polym. Sci. – German Chemical Society
 1986, Semon Lectureship – University of Kent
 1987, Frontiers in Chemistry Lectureship – Case Western Reserve University
 1987, Mobay Lectures/P. Debye Lectureship – Cornell University
 1988, Chaire Francqui University of Liège
 1989, IMS-Distinguished Lectureship – University of Connecticut
 1990, CMSE- Distinguished Visiting Scholarship – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 1990, IBM-Research Centre Lectureship IBM, San José
 1990, O.K. Rice Lectures – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 1991, German-Dartmouth Distinguished Professorship – Dartmouth College, Hanover
 1992, A. von Humboldt Award   Ministere Français de la Recherche
 1992, C.B. Purves Lectures – McGill University
 1992, G. Smets Chair in Polymer Science – Universities of Leuven
 1992, Melvin Calvin Lectureship – University of California, Berkeley
 1993, Chevalier l'ordre des Palmes Acad. – Palmes Acad., Paris
 1993, Doctor Honoris Causa – Université Paris, Paris-Sud
 1993, Japanese Polymer Award  Society of Polymer Science, Tokyo
 1993, Miles Lectureship – University of Pittsburgh
 1994, ACS-Award in Polymer Chemistry – American Chemical Society
 1994, G.M.J. Schmidt Lecture  Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
 1994, Rothschild Professor – Curie Institute, Paris
 1994, Ziegler-Natta Lectureship – Italian Chemical Society
 1995, Doctor Honoris Causa – University of Dublin, Trinity College
 1995, Pirkey Lecture – University of Texas
 1996, A. Cruikshank Lecture Award in Chemical Sciences – Gordon Conferences
 1996, Aggarwal Lectures – Cornell University, Ithaca
 1996, Centenary Lectureship Award – Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
 1996, Distinguished Professorship – Kyoto University
 1996, Otto M. Smith Lecture – Oklahoma State University
 1996, Pierre Duhem Lectures – University of Bordeaux, France
 1996, Rushmer Lecture – University of Washington
 1997, E. Gordon Young Memorial Lectureship – The Chemical Institute of Canada
 1997, Eminent Scientist of RIKEN, RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Tokyo)
 1998, Distinguished Shipley Lecturer – Clarkson University
 1999, Doctor Honoris Causa – ETH Zurich
 2000, Honored Member of the Liquid Crystal Society – LC-Society; Shinshu University, Japan
 2000, Rohm and Haas Polymer Lecturer  University of California, Berkeley
 2001, Friendship Award of the P.R.China – Beijing, P.R.China
 2002, Prize for Technology a. Appl. Science – C.F.-Pastor-Foundation, Aachen/München, Germany
 2003, Abbé-Lectureship – University of Jena, Jena, Germany

Memberships

 1971–1976, A. von Humboldt Foundation – Member Foundation Committee
 1976–1979, German Fonds der Chemie Scientific Committee
 1976–1989, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Committee for Scientific Exchange
 1978–1984, Member of the World Health Organization's Committee on Fertility Regulation
 1979, Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz – Member
 1985–1992, Academy of Science, Berlin/DDR – Foreign Member
 1989–1994, Committee Scientifique, Paris – Member
 1990–1993, German Fonds der Chemie Scientific Committee
 1991, Nordrh.-Westf. Academy of Science – Corresponding Member
 1998, Conseil National de La Science, Ministere de l'Education, de la Rescherche et de la Technologie – Member Advisory Board, Paris
 1999, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow – Foreign Member

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

1929 births
2023 deaths
20th-century German chemists
Academics of Cardiff University
University of California, Los Angeles faculty
Academics of the University of London
Academic staff of Jilin University
Academic staff of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Academic staff of the University of Marburg
Foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Members of the German Academy of Sciences at Berlin
Technische Universität Darmstadt alumni
21st-century German chemists
People from Giessen
Polymer scientists and engineers