Moissan, Henri Ferdinand Frederick, 1852–1907, French chemist, Ph.D. École Pratique des Haute Études, Paris, 1880. Moissan was a professor at the School of Pharmacy in Paris (1886–1900) and at the Sorbonne from 1900 until his death. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906 for his work in isolating fluorine from its compounds. Moissan completed a comprehensive study of the properties of the gas and its reactions with other elements. He was also cited for his development of the electric-arc furnace, later known as the Moissan electric furnace. He used the furnace, which could reach 3500°C, to synthesize diamonds from carbon as well as to prepare a number of new compounds, including carbides, silicides, and borides.
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