Final answer:
The definition of a base as a substance that increases the concentration of OH⁻ ions when dissolved in water is attributed to the Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to this question is Arrhenius. An Arrhenius base is a substance that, when dissolved in water, increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH⁻). According to the Arrhenius theory, a base dissociates in water to produce OH⁻ ions. An example of a reaction involving an Arrhenius base is the dissolution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH):
NaOH(s) → Na⁺(aq) + OH⁻(aq)
The hydroxide ions (OH⁻) are what characterize a solution as basic under the Arrhenius definition. Therefore, the correct association with the given definition of a base is with Svante Arrhenius, who first defined acids and bases in these terms in 1884. This led to Arrhenius receiving the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1903 for his work on the dissociation of substances in solution.