1825 ⟶ Wöhler and Liebig Discover Isomers

Friedrich Wöhler and Justus von Liebig perform the first con...

Year

1825

1832

1857

1865

⚛️ Wöhler and Liebig Discover Isomers

Friedrich Wöhler and Justus von Liebig perform the first confirmed discovery and explanation of isomers, earlier named by Berzelius. Working with cyanic acid and fulminic acid, they correctly deduce that isomerism was caused by differing arrangements of atoms within a molecular structure.⟶

ChemistryIsomerismMolecular structureOrganic chemistry19th centuryAtomsScientific discovery

Germany

🧪 Wöhler and Liebig Discover and Explain Functional Groups in Organic Chemistry

Friedrich Wöhler and Justus von Liebig discover and explain functional groups and radicals in relation to organic chemistry.⟶

Organic ChemistryChemistryFunctional GroupsWöhlerLiebig19th CenturyChemical Theory

Germany

⚛️ Friedrich August Kekulé proposes carbon tetravalence

Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz proposes that carbon is tetravalent, or forms exactly four chemical bonds.⟶

Carbon TetravalenceMolecular StructureFriedrich August KekuléOrganic ChemistryChemical Bonds19th CenturyChemistry

Germany

⚛️ Kekulé's Discovery of Benzene Ring Structure

Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz realized that benzene is composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms in a hexagonal ring.⟶

ChemistryOrganic ChemistryKekuléBenzeneMolecular Structure19th CenturyStructural FormulaChemical Bonding

Germany

🔷 Kekulé Establishes Structure of Benzene

Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz, based partially on the work of Loschmidt and others, establishes structure of benzene as a six carbon ring with alternating single and double bonds.⟶

ChemistryOrganic ChemistryKekuléBenzeneMolecular Structure19th CenturyStructural FormulaChemical Bonding

Germany