Victor Grignard (1871–1935) and Paul Sabatier (1854–1941), Pioneers in Organometallic Chemistry

In 1912 the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded half each to the French chemists Victor Grignard (1871–1935) and Paul Sabatier (1854–1941), who pioneered independently in the field of organometallic chemistry. It was the first recognition for successes in French provincial laboratories, both laureates having refused nominations to prestigious chairs in Paris. Although the topics of the two laureates involved organometallic compounds, their respective researches were unrelated. Therefore the achievements of the joint Nobel laureates are treated separately before reviewing their Nobel awards. The effect of the awards on French chemistry is also discussed.