John Rowlinson was a physical chemist with distinguished research into cohesion and capillary action — two key ways in which matter ‘sticks together’. John discovered the wide existence of lower critical solution temperatures below which two or more substances will mix completely in all proportions. John made significant contributions to the theoretical description of intermolecular forces, such as his temperature-dependent hard sphere model of repulsive components of intermolecular forces.
John was also passionate about the history of physical chemistry and understanding the development of the field. This included seminal biographical work on Dutch theoretical physicist, Johannes van der Waals, including a translation of van der Waals’s doctoral thesis.
John wrote many books including the acclaimed, Cohesion (2002). He received many accolades including the Faraday Lectureship Prize in 1983 from the Royal Society of Chemistry. For his contributions to promoting and understanding the history of chemistry, he received the 2008 Edelstein Award. He was knighted in 2000.
Sir John Rowlinson FREng FRS died on 15 August 2018
Subject groups
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Chemistry
Chemistry, physical
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Engineering and Materials Science
Engineering, chemical
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Other
History of science
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Astronomy and Physics
Statistical
Awards
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Leverhulme Medal
Distinguished for his contributions to thermodynamics, in particular to an understanding of the physical chemistry of gas-liquid interfaces and surfaces.
