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

1. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner: Early Life and Career
2. Career Struggles and Triumph
3. Contributions to Chemistry
4. Law of Triads
5. Recognition and Legacy
6. Technological Achievements

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner: Early Life and Career

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner, a German chemist, was born into a family of carters in the Bavarian town of Hof. Lacking formal secondary education, Döbereiner embarked on a path of self-education, passing the examination for the position of assistant pharmacist. To qualify as a pharmacy manager, he enrolled in the University of Strasbourg from 1800-1803 to study natural sciences.

Career Struggles and Triumph

Upon returning to Germany, Döbereiner's financial constraints and guild restrictions prevented him from pursuing his intended pharmacy career. His entrepreneurial ventures, such as the production and sale of chemicals and the establishment of an educational institution for chemical technologists, proved equally unsuccessful. However, his numerous publications on improvements in chemical production methods were well-received, earning him the support of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In 1810, Döbereiner was appointed Professor at the University of Jena.

Contributions to Chemistry

Döbereiner's research focused primarily on the properties of metals, their oxides, and the underlying patterns in the properties of elements. In 1821, he successfully oxidized ethyl alcohol to produce acetic acid in the presence of platinum. Two years later, he reported the ignition of a hydrogen stream directed at spongy platinum, laying the groundwork for heterogeneous catalysis alongside the work of Humphry Davy. Based on this reaction, Döbereiner devised the "Döbereiner's lamp."

Law of Triads

Döbereiner's most groundbreaking achievement was identifying the first patterns in the properties of elements. He noted that when three chemically similar elements were arranged in order of increasing atomic weight, the atomic weight of the middle element was roughly the average of the first and third. In 1817, he established this pattern for the alkali earth metals: calcium, strontium, and barium. In 1829, he expanded this principle to other elements, proposing two additional triads (lithium, sodium, potassium; and sulfur, selenium, tellurium).

Recognition and Legacy

While Döbereiner's work on the classification of elements initially went unnoticed, its significance was later recognized. In 1840, Leopold Gmelin demonstrated that the pattern of element properties was more complex than Döbereiner's triads. Nevertheless, Döbereiner's Law of Triads paved the way for the systematic organization of elements, which culminated in the creation of the Periodic Table.

Technological Achievements

Döbereiner was not only a renowned scientist but also a noteworthy chemical technologist. He investigated the processes of fabric dyeing, established a starch-treacle production facility, and studied the chemical basis of fermentation. His method for oxidizing ethyl alcohol to produce acetic acid was instrumental in the industrial production of this compound.