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Joseph Achille Le BelFrench chemist
Date of Birth: 21.01.1847
Country:  France |
Content:
Victor Auguste Michel
Victor Auguste Michel was a French chemist and a pioneer in the field of stereochemistry. He was elected to the Academy of Natural Sciences in 1929.
Education
Michel completed his studies at the École Polytechnique in 1867. He then worked in Paris under the renowned chemist Charles-Adolphe Wurtz.
Contributions to Stereoschemistry
Michel's research focused on the optical activity of organic compounds, known as isomerism. In 1874, he independently proposed the theory of the asymmetric carbon atom, simultaneously with Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff. This theory provided an explanation for the observed optical activity of organic compounds.
Experimental Investigations
Michel isolated several optically active alcohols between 1878 and 1881. He also achieved a milestone by synthesizing the first optically active non-symmetrical ammonium compound in 1891.
