Hoff, Jacobus H van't

Hoff, Jacobus H(enricus) van't

(born Aug. 30, 1852, Rotterdam, Neth.—died March 1, 1911, Berlin, Ger.) Dutch physical chemist. His early work on stereochemistry explained optical activity in terms of the tetrahedral bonding of carbon atoms in organic molecules (see configuration). His later work outlined the principles of chemical kinetics, applied the laws of thermodynamics to chemical equilibria, introduced modern concepts of chemical affinity, and advanced understanding of electrolytes. Equations relating osmotic pressure (see osmosis) to mole fraction of solute and relating the equilibrium constant to temperature bear his name. In 1901 he was awarded the first Nobel Prize for Chemistry.