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 Elfriede Husemann. 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.