Felix Reinitzer

Felix Reinitzer was a chemist best known for discovering liquid crystals in 1888. He observed that cholesteryl benzoate, a chemical he studied, displayed unusual properties—it changed between transparent and cloudy states and could flow like a liquid while maintaining some ordered structures. This discovery laid the foundation for the field of liquid crystal science, which is essential for technologies like LCD screens. Reinitzer’s work revealed how certain substances can exhibit both liquid and solid characteristics, leading to advances in display technology and materials science.