George C. Pimentel

George Claude Pimentel was a preeminent chemist and researcher, the inventor of the chemical laser, who was also dedicated to science education and public service. He developed the technique of matrix isolation in low-temperature chemistry. He also developed time-resolved infrared spectroscopy to study radicals and other transient species. In the late 1960s, Pimentel led the University of California team that designed the infrared spectrometer for the Mars Mariner 6 and 7 missions that analyzed the surface and atmosphere of Mars.