Johann Dobereiner German chemist Date of Birth: 13.12.1780 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner
2. Early Life and Education
3. Collaboration with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4. Contributions to Chemistry and Catalysis
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner was a German chemist who gained fame for his law of triads, which laid the foundation for the systematization of chemical elements that eventually evolved into the Periodic Law.

Early Life and Education

Döbereiner was born on December 13, 1780, in Hof, Bayreuth, Germany, to a coachman. Due to financial constraints, his prospects were limited, but he diligently worked towards establishing himself and pursued self-education. He apprenticed with a pharmacist, read extensively, and attended lectures on scientific topics.

To secure a coveted position as a pharmacy manager, Döbereiner had to study natural sciences in Strasbourg, France, where he stayed from 1800 to 1803. Upon his return to Germany, he was unable to gather enough funds to open his own business and faced restrictions imposed by the pharmaceutical guild. Furthermore, his attempts to establish the production and distribution of chemical products were unsuccessful. His plans to open an educational institution to cultivate a new generation of chemical technologists also remained unrealized.

Nevertheless, Döbereiner, who described numerous methods for improving the processes of obtaining different substances, earned recognition in scientific chemical circles and was highly regarded by some specialists.

Collaboration with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In 1810, with the support of his friend Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Döbereiner received an invitation from the University of Jena, where he assumed the position of a professor.

Contributions to Chemistry and Catalysis

In 1821, Döbereiner synthesized acetic acid by oxidizing alcohol in the presence of platinum. In 1823, he conducted an experiment with a hydrogen jet directed at spongy platinum and reported the ignition of hydrogen emissions. Both works, along with the discoveries of English chemist Humphry Davy, had a significant influence on the emergence of the fundamentals of catalytic chemistry, which utilized mechanisms of heterogeneous catalysis.

Through his experiments with hydrogen, Döbereiner created the "Döbereiner's lamp" in 1823. This hydrogen lamp consisted of a container in which a zinc plate interacted with sulfuric acid, producing hydrogen. When a valve was opened, the hydrogen escaped, and its jet, upon contact with a sponge-like plate acting as a catalyst, ignited in the air. Essentially, the Döbereiner's lamp was the precursor to the modern lighter. The device sold well in Germany until 1880.

Dedicated to his work for a long time, Döbereiner was one of the first to notice regularities in the variation of properties among chemical elements. He discovered that if three elements with similar properties were arranged in increasing order of atomic mass, the atomic mass of the middle element would be equal to the average of the atomic weights of the first and last elements. The first regularity was established for the alkaline earth "triad" that Döbereiner researched, consisting of calcium, strontium, and barium. In 1829, when Swedish chemist Jöns Jakob Berzelius found confirmation for Döbereiner's investigations, the latter extended this concept to the lithium, sodium, and potassium triad. Additionally, according to his classification, sulfur, selenium, and tellurium also formed a triad. These sets of elements became known as "Döbereiner's triads."

Döbereiner is also recognized for his discovery of furfural, his work on the use of platinum as a catalyst, and his research on dyeing processes.

Later Years and Legacy

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner passed away on March 24, 1849, at the age of 69, in Jena, Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. His contributions to chemistry and his pioneering observations on triads and catalysis left an enduring impact on the field and laid the groundwork for future discoveries.