Sidgwick, Nevil Vincent (1873–1952)

English theoretical chemist who made contributions to the theory of valency and chemical bonding.

Sidgwick was born in Oxford and studied there and in Germany. He spent his entire career at Oxford, becoming professor 1935.

Sidgwick became absorbed by the study of atomic structure and its importance in chemical bonding. He explained the bonding in coordination compounds (complexes), with a convincing account of the significance of the dative bond. Together with his students he demonstrated the existence and wide-ranging importance of the hydrogen bond.

His works include The Organic Chemistry of Nitrogen 1910, The Electronic Theory of Valency 1927, Some Physical Properties of the Covalent Link in Chemistry 1933, and the definitive The Chemical Elements and their Compounds 1950.