Lives and times of great pioneers in chemistry : (from Lavoisier to Sanger) / C.N.R. Rao, Indumati Rao, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rao, C. N. R. (Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra), 1934- author.

Rao, Indumati, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Chemists--Biography.

Chemistry--History--18th century.

Chemistry--History--19th century.

Chemistry--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (323 p.)

Place of Publication:

New Jersey : World Scientific, [2016]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Chemical science has made major advances in the last few decades and has gradually transformed in to a highly multidisciplinary subject that is exciting academically and at the same time beneficial to human kind. In this context, we owe much to the foundations laid by great pioneers of chemistry who contributed new knowledge and created new directions. This book presents the lives and times of 21 great chemists starting from Lavoisier (18th century) and ending with Sanger. Then, there are stories of the great Faraday (19th century) and of the 20th century geniuses G N Lewis and Linus Pauling. The material in the book is presented in the form of stories describing important aspects of the lives of these great personalities, besides highlighting their contributions to chemistry. It is hoped that the book will provide enjoyable reading and also inspiration to those who wish to understand the secret of the creativity of these great chemists."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

CONTENTS; Preface; 1. Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743-1794) (Father of chemistry); Early years; Lavoisier's Chemistry; Respiration and combustion; Water is a compound not an element; Classification and nomenclature of elements; Author and a polymath; The final days; References; 2. John Dalton (1766-1844) (Proponent of the concept of the atom); Early life; Law of Multiple Proportions and the beginning of Atomic Theory; Dalton the man; Last days; References; 3. Humphry Davy (1778-1829) (The great discoverer and showman); Early years; Becoming an experimental chemist; Inhaling nitrous oxide

Lectures and Research at the Royal InstitutionHumphry Davy and Michael Faraday; Bakerian lectures; Davy's outstanding achievements; Davy, the multifaceted genius; Davy lamp; Honours; Davy the man; Final years; References; 4. Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848) (Swedish pioneer who wrote the first chemistry text book); Early years; Textbook of Chemistry and atomic weights; Electrochemical experiments; Nomenclature; Electrochemical dualism; Isomerism; Catalysis; Honours; Berzelius' influence; Later years; References; 5. Michael Faraday (1791-1867) (The greatest scientist of all time); Early years

Apprenticeship with a bookbinderBeginning of a scientific journey; To Europe with Humphry Davy; Chemist, physicist or electrical engineer?; Faraday's impact on electricity and related fields; Static electricity and the Faraday cage; Unification; Honours; Work ethics; Evening Discourses and Christmas lectures; Public service; Faraday the man; Last years; References; 6. Friedrich Wöhler (1800-1882) (The one who made the first organic compound); Early years; Synthesis of urea and the birth of organic chemistry; Extraction of aluminum from alumina; Honours; Other Facets; References

7. August Kekule (1829-1896) (First to predict organic structures)Early life; Gambolling atoms and theory of Valence; Benzene; Return to Germany as professor in the University of Bonn; Honors; Last years; References; 8. Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (1834-1907) (Designer of the greatest table); Early life; Later years; Beginnings of the Periodic Table; What makes Mendeleev's periodic table unique?; The many faceted genius; Honors; Mendeleev the man; References; 9. Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff (1852-1911) (First Nobel Laureate in Chemistry); Early years; Tetrahedral Carbon

Foray into physical chemistryOne of the first physical chemists; Honours; The unique genius of van't Hoff; The end; References; 10. Emil Fischer (1852-1919) (A multi-faceted organic chemist); Early years; Purines and sugars; Fischer Projections; Enzyme action and the lock and key model; Protein research; Honours; Fischer the man; Final years; References; 11.Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932) (High priest of physical chemistry); Early years; Pioneer in physical chemistry; Ostwald - Arrhenius; Father of physical chemistry; Catalysis; Ostwald and energetics; Rejection of atomic hypothesis; Colours

Views on Science

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9789814689069

9814689068