The many footprints of Henry Eyring

Henry Eyring is most well-known as the proponent of the activated complex (transition state) theory for chemical reactions. He was also the one to construct the first Potential Energy Surface along with Michael Polanyi. Apart from his exemplary work in chemical kinetics, the plethora of problems he engaged in establish his versatile genius. Evaluation of dipole moments in complex molecules, one-electron theory for optical activity, conformation changes in proteins, deformation kinetics in materials are some of the fields where his contributions have been immensely significant. He was a prolific writer and authored more than 600 articles and 10 scientific volumes. This article will discuss the contributions of Henry Eyring.