Lives in Chemistry🌻The “God of Fluorine,” Karl Otto Christe, passed away on April 19, 2026, in California.
Christe was most famous for the first completely chemical synthesis of elemental fluorine. Furthermore, he synthesized iconic ions like NF₄⁺ and ClF₆⁺ as well as extremely reactive polynitrogen ions like the linear-angled N₅⁺ and the cyclic N₅⁻, and he was well known as an expert in energetic materials.
He received a wide range of prizes from the ACS, SFC, and GDCh.
Christe was most famous for the first completely chemical synthesis of elemental fluorine. Furthermore, he synthesized iconic ions like NF₄⁺ and ClF₆⁺ as well as extremely reactive polynitrogen ions like the linear-angled N₅⁺ and the cyclic N₅⁻, and he was well known as an expert in energetic materials.
He received a wide range of prizes from the ACS, SFC, and GDCh.
