The Vienna University of Technology mourns the loss of Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mayer, who died in November 2022 after a serious illness at the age of 83.

Ulrich Mayer was born on 27.09.1940 in Vienna, Simmering, graduated from the Bundesrealschule Gottschalkgasse and graduated with distinction in 1959. In October 1959, he enrolled at the Technical University to study “Technical Chemistry”, which he completed in 1966 with a diploma thesis at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry. From 1967 to 1969, he carried out his dissertation at the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Viktor Gutmann and was awarded a doctorate in technical sciences “sub auspiciis praesidentis” in April 1970. In 1978, he was awarded a teaching license for the subject “Inorganic Chemistry” and in 1979 he was appointed associate university professor. He remained loyal to the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry throughout his career, initially as a university assistant, from 1971 as Head of the Department of Coordination Chemistry and finally as Head of the Institute from 1990 to 1998.

The central topic of his scientific work was the solvation properties of non-aqueous solvents, which he attempted to describe using so-called semi-empirical solvent parameters. After Viktor Gutmann's donor number, which quantifies the electrophilic or Lewis acid properties of a solvent, Ulrich Mayer found an analogous parameter for the nucleophilic or Lewis base properties in 1975 with the acceptor number, which provided an extremely successful set of parameters for the coordinative properties of solvents that is still used today and explained a large number of previously misunderstood solvent effects. Ulrich Mayer always pursued his research interests with a meticulousness that knew no working hours, deadlines, weekends or vacations. Professional success and recognition were not important to him; he was driven solely by his curiosity and an inner urge to understand everything down to the last detail.

In his private life, Ulrich Mayer was an enthusiastic fan and connoisseur of jazz music with a record-breaking record collection, as well as a great friend of Asian and especially Japanese culture, which found expression in numerous professional and private visits and contacts to East Asia. For decades, Hinterbrühl was his place of residence and refuge, where he repeatedly withdrew to get to the bottom of things and where he continued to work scientifically for many years after his retirement. He will remain an unforgettable memory to all who knew him.

Helmuth Hoffmann