Nobel Laureate. French inorganic chemist, first isolated fluorine; pioneer of high temperature chemistry. In 1886 he successfully prepared fluorine gas by electrolysis of a solution of KF in HF at -50C in an apparatus made of platinum and calcium fluoride. He was the first person to obtain boron in pure form and prepared a range of metal hydrides. He also prepared synthetic germs such as ruby and silicides, borides and carbides of metal as well as metals such as molybdenum, tantalum, niobium, vanadium, titanium, tungsten and uranium.