Langmuir, Irving theory

The meaning of "model" was to become far less concrete in the next couple of decades. In 1929, Irving Langmuir criticized mechanical models, like those of Lord Kelvin and Maxwell, on the grounds that the relationships of their parts are restricted to what is already known in mechanics, electricity, or magnetism, limiting the possibility of new insights into new phenomena. "Mathematical relationships are far more flexible," he claimed, and "the mathematical theory is a far better model of the atom than any of the mechanical... 

Irving Langmuir, "The Structure of Molecules," BAAS Rep. Edinburgh. 1921 (1922) 468469. G. N. Lewis. "The Atom and the Molecule," 762785 Irving Langmuir, "The Structure of Atoms and the Octet Theory of Valence." Proc. NAS 5 (1919) 252259, and JACS "The Arrangement of Electrons in Atoms and Molecules,"... 

Irving Langmuir General Electric Adsorption theory... 

Although Lewis originated the idea of the electron-pair bond, much of the credit for its early acceptance must go to Irving Langmuir, who extended it somewhat and enthusiastically popularized it to the extent that it began to be known as the Lewis-Lang-muir theory, and even as the Langmuir theory ... 

Irving Langmuir, the Nobel prize-winning industrial physical chemist who worked at General Electric, built an elegant structure upon this foundation in kinetic theory. He reasoned that not every molecule would adsorb, but only some would do so. Furthermore, one reason for this was that to be adsorbed there should be a site for adsorption to occur. It stands to reason then that on the basis of mass action, the rate of adsorption should be proportional to the concentration of molecules in the gas phase and to the number of sites available on the surface. Additionally, the rate should be related at any time to the number of sites not covered at that time rather than to the total number of sites present per unit area. Conversely, and again by the principle of mass action, the rate of desorption should be proportional to the number of sites currently occupied at that time. Using ka and kd as the proportionality constants (that we will call the rate constant for adsorption and desorption, respectively), we can write the net rate of adsorption for gas phase species i as the difference between the rate of adsorption and the rate of desorption ... 

This path-breaking idea arose in the mind of a scientist who, in 1915, had published only one previous paper even partly concerned with catalytic reactions who did not work in a university, and who, indeed, worked for an industrial organization that specialized not in chemistry at all, but in electrical manufacturing. So the episode appears to exemplify the way a scientific field can be revolutionized by an outsider to the field. The role of Irving Langmuir in the development of the theory of catalysis and its kinetics, wrote chemist S.Z. Roginsky, is a striking example of a fruitful and deep influence exerted by an outsider on one of the most important branches of chemistry. (3)... 

Kohler R (1974) Irving Langmuir and the Octet theory of valence. Hist Stud Phys Sci 4 39-87... 

This theory was devised by irving Langmuir, 1881-1957, an American industrial chemist who won the 1932 Nobel Prize In chemistry for his work on surface chemistry. 

Irving Langmuir was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Chemistiy for his work in surface chemistry. He contributed to atomic theory and the understanding of atomic stracture by defining the concepts of valence shells and isotopes. 

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