Van't Hoff was born in Rotterdam, Holland, on August 30, 1852, the son of a doctor. As a young boy, Van't Hoff decided that he wanted to become a chemist. Doubting that he could earn a living as a chemist, his parents objected to this decision. Eventually, they allowed him to enroll at the Delft Polytechnic Institute, after which, in 1871, he entered the University of Leyden.

After further study with Friedrich Kekulé in Bonn, Germany, and C. A. Wurtz (1817-1884) in Paris, France, Van't Hoff returned to Holland (1876) as a lecturer in physics at the Veterinary College at Utrecht. Two years later, he was appointed chairman of the chemistry department at the University of Amsterdam, a post he held until 1896. His final position was professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin, where he remained until his death in Steglitz, Germany,on March 1, 1911.

Van't Hoff is best known for...