Wilkinson, Sir Geoffrey (1921-1996), an English chemist, did important work on organometallic compounds (substances that consist of organic compounds and metal atoms). Wilkinson conducted much research into bonding between different metals and hydrogen. He discovered chlorotris, a catalyst that causes other substances to react with hydrogen. This catalyst, now often known as Wilkinson's catalyst, has proved to be of great importance for industry, as well as in the study of organic and inorganic chemistry. For his work on organometallic compounds, Wilkinson was awarded half of the 1973 Nobel Prize in chemistry. The other half went to German scientist Ernst Fischer, who worked independently in the same field (see Fischer, Ernst Otto).