Karl O. Christe

Karl Otto Christe (born July 24, 1936) is an inorganic chemist. He is the best reference in respectful handling of a huge number of extremely reactive components and his extensive experience in fluorine chemistry earned him the title of 'The Fluorine God'. His research covers fluorine chemistry of nitrogen and halogens and the synthesis of new energetic materials.

Karl Otto Christe
Born
Karl Otto Christe

(1936-07-24) July 24, 1936
Ulm, Germany
Alma materUniversity of Stuttgart
Known forFluorine Chemistry and homoleptic nitrogen compounds
AwardsTolman Award (2011)
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry
InstitutionsLoker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, University of Southern California, USC
Doctoral advisorJosef Goubeau

Life

In 1957 Christe began his chemistry studies at the University of Stuttgart. He prepared both his diploma- (1960) and PhD theses (1961) under the supervision of Josef Goubeau. In 1962 Christe immigrated to the USA and settled in California. He started working as a senior research chemist with Stauffer Chemical Co in Richmond/CA. In 1967 he joined Rocketdyne Division Rockwell International in Canoga Park where he became the manager of research in 1978. In 1994 he accepted split positions between the Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base and the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute of USC. In 2005, he moved full-time to USC where he is working as a research professor.[1][2][3]

Work

Since the 1960s, Christe has been investigating the synthesis of new fluorides of nitrogen, halogen, and the halogen oxides, as well as their ions. Notable examples are the syntheses of both NF4+ and ClF6+. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Henri Moissan's first production of fluorine, Christe in 1986 reported about the first truly chemical synthesis of fluorine. Another important field of his work covers the research on homoleptic nitrogen compounds for use in energetic materials. In this context, he synthesized the bent pentazenium cation, N5+, and was the first to experimentally detect the cyclic pentazolate anion, N5− and to prepare stable high nitrogen pentazolates.[4][5] Both compounds are considered important milestones on the way to even heavier polynitrogen compounds. In 1996, Christe was the first to propose the use of ionic liquids as energetic materials in propulsion systems. He is currently working on the development of oxidizers to replace the dangerous ammonium perchlorate. Christe has authored over 400 peer-review publications, and has more than 60 patents.

Awards

Publications (selection)
  • Guertin, Jacques P.; Christe, Karl O.; Pavlath, Attila E. (1966). "Complex Fluoro Cations. II. Tetrafluoronitrogen(V) Cation, NF4+. Synthesis and Properties of NH4+AsF6−". Inorganic Chemistry. 5 (11): 1921–1924. doi:10.1021/ic50045a018.
  • The hexafluorochlorine (VII) cation, CIF6+, K. O. Christe, Inorg. Nucl. Chem. Lett. 8, 751, (1972)[7]
  • Christe, Karl O. (1973). "Hexafluorochlorine(VII) cation, CIF6+. Synthesis and vibrational spectrum". Inorganic Chemistry. 12 (7): 1580–1587. doi:10.1021/ic50125a021.
  • Christe, Karl O. (1986). "Chemical synthesis of elemental fluorine". Inorganic Chemistry. 25 (21): 3721–3722. doi:10.1021/ic00241a001.
  • Christe, Karl O.; Wilson, William W.; Sheehy, Jeffrey A.; Boatz, Jerry A. (1999). "N5+: A Novel Homoleptic Polynitrogen Ion as a High Energy Density Material". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 38 (13–14): 2004–2009. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19990712)38:13/14<2004::AID-ANIE2004>3.0.CO;2-7.
  • Vij, Ashwani; Pavlovich, James G.; Wilson, William W.; Vij, Vandana; Christe, Karl O. (2002). "Experimental Detection of the Pentaazacyclopentadienide (Pentazolate) Anion, cyclo-N5−". Angewandte Chemie. 114 (16): 3177. doi:10.1002/1521-3757(20020816)114:16<3177::AID-ANGE3177>3.0.CO;2-I.
  • Jones, C. Bigler; Haiges, Ralf; Schroer, Thorsten; Christe, Karl O. (2006). "Oxygen-Balanced Energetic Ionic Liquid". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 45 (30): 4981–4984. doi:10.1002/anie.200600735. PMID 16819744.
  • Christe, Karl O. (2007). "Recent Advances in the Chemistry of N5+, N5− and High-Oxygen Compounds". Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics. 32 (3): 194–204. doi:10.1002/prep.200700020.

References
  1. "2011 Karl O. Christe, USC". Scalacs.org. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  2. Karl O. Christe, ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CANOGA PARK CA ROCKETDYNE DIV. 1987. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  3. BROWNE, MALCOLM W. "New Nitrogen Ion Carries Warning: Handle With Care". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  4. C. Yang, C. Zhang, Z. Zheng, C. Jiang, J. Luo, Y. Du, B. Hu, C. Sun, K. O. Christe. Synthesis and Characterization of cyclo-Pentazolate Salts of NH4+, NH3OH+, N2H5+, C(NH2)3+, and N(CH3)4+. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 16488–16494
  5. K. O. Christe, D. A. Dixon, M. Vasiliu, R. Haiges, B. Hu, Prop., Explos., Pyrotech. 2019, 44, 263-266
  6. https://cen.acs.org/people/awards/ACS-2021-national-award-winners/98/i31
  7. Christe, Karl O. (1972-08-31). "The hexafluorochlorine (VII) cation, CIF6". Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry Letters. 8 (8): 741–745. doi:10.1016/0020-1650(72)80129-6.
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