Friedrich Theodor Althoffs Beziehungen zur Chemie

Friedrich Theodor Althoff who operated for more than 25 years as “Vortragender Rat” in “Preußisches Ministerium der Geistlichen, Unterrichts‐ und Medicinalangelegenheiten” (Kultusministerium), died 100 years ago. He effectively influenced matters concerning German universities and there connections with industry, as well as the relationship with international science. His sphere of responsibility consisted of highschools and universities but also care for preservation of libraries, memorials and development of medical science. He was also responsible for appointing personnel within universities and for furtherance and foundation of scientific institutions. He established new kinds of organisation as such as the annual Conference of the administration of german universities (later to become “Kultusministerkonferenzen”) and other provisions. With profounded understanding of human being and extensive communications he enabled the appointment of especially gifted scientists. Highly honoured and selfassured, but otherwise often criticised, he was named “der heimliche Kultusminister”.     

Analysis of the structure of aqueous ferrofluids by the small-angle neutron scattering method

The structures of several aqueous magnetic fluids stabilized by different combinations of surfactants have been compared using small-angle neutron scattering. The size distribution functions of colloidal particles in water have been determined. The degree of clustering of magnetic nanoparticles has been obtained from comparison with electron microscopy data. The combinations of surfactants that lead to a minimum clustering have been revealed.