Perspectives on the History of Chemistry – serie

This book comprises seventeen independent essays on little remembered chemists whose contributions have had significant impact on chemistry and society. Among these chemists, readers will find names such as Alexander Borodin and Sir William Crookes, whose fame is known but not their chemistry. In the remaining fifteen essays readers will discover about less well-known chemists such as Frederick Accum, John Mercer and Ellen Swallow Richards. Each essay is complete in itself with selection made without regard to the area of chemistry involved, and they appear alphabetically by the family name of individual.This collection of essays consists of selections from the series originally published quarterly as Some Unremembered Chemists in the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry in-house journal, Chemistry in New Zealand (2013-2018). They are abstracted, edited and abbreviated slightly, and appear with the permission of the copyright holder.

This book tells the story of two of the most important figures in the history of chemistry. In this carefully researched biography, the author, Anders Lennartson, explains the chemistry of Scheele and Bergman while putting their discoveries in the context of other 18th-century chemistry.

This book tells the story of two of the most important figures in the history of chemistry. In this carefully researched biography, the author, Anders Lennartson, explains the chemistry of Scheele and Bergman while putting their discoveries in the context of other 18th-century chemistry.

This book provides an overview of the origins and evolution of the periodic system from its prehistory to the latest synthetic elements and possible future additions. The periodic system of the elements first emerged as a comprehensive classificatory and predictive tool for chemistry during the 1860s. Its subsequent embodiment in various versions has made it one of the most recognizable icons of science.Based primarily on a symposium titled “150 Years of the Periodic Table” and held at the August 2019 national meeting of the American Chemical Society, this book describes the origins of the periodic law, developments that led to its acceptance, chemical families that the system struggled to accommodate, extension of the periodic system to include synthetic elements, and various cultural aspects of the system that were celebrated during the International Year of the Periodic Table.

This book presents the pioneering role of the women chemists at the London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW). The London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW) was the first School in Britain to enable women to gain medical qualifications.

This book presents the pioneering role of the women chemists at the London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW). The London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW) was the first School in Britain to enable women to gain medical qualifications.

This book tells the story of how chemists, physicians, and surgeons attempted to end the problem of urinary stones. Urinary stones and other stones of the body caused the boundaries of surgery, chemistry, and medicine to blur.

This book tells the story of how chemists, physicians, and surgeons attempted to end the problem of urinary stones. Urinary stones and other stones of the body caused the boundaries of surgery, chemistry, and medicine to blur.

This monograph is the first comprehensive historical overview of the global synthetic ammonia industry, highlighting its critical role in fixing nitrogen from the air in order to produce the fertilizers that support a significant portion of the world’s population.

This contributed volume is based on presentations made at the 2024 Symposium on the sesquicentennial of the independent proposals of the tetrahedral carbon by van 't Hoff and Le Bel (1874), presented to the Division of the History of Chemistry of the American Chemical Society in March 2024. In 1874, the Dutch chemist, Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff (1852-1911), and the French chemist, Joseph-Achille Le Bel (1847-1930), independently proposed that the phenomenon of optical activity could be rationalized on the basis of non-superimposable mirror image molecules—in particular, the tetrahedral carbon atom. The book features chapters dedicated to the life and work of Le Bel and the history of stereochemistry. The expansion of the van 't Hoff-Le Bel theory to elements beyond carbon, such as metals and chiral centers based on sulfur and selenium, is also explored. Additionally, the book discusses the visualization of organic molecules in three dimensions through molecular models, the limits of bonding and stereochemistry in organic molecules, and the role of crystallography in stereochemistry development. Specific topics include hydrocarbons with severely distorted geometry, the quantum chemical revolution, the effects of substituents on tetrahedral carbons, the Walden inversion, and the Fischer elucidation of monosaccharide configurations. A chapter by Kahr and Rossi includes the only English translation of the undergraduate thesis of the world-renowned author Primo Levi, a Jewish, Italian-born chemist and Holocaust survivor, and provides historical and scientific context. The book also examines the public celebration of stereochemistry through postage stamps. This title offers a comprehensive overview of the evolution and significance of stereochemistry in both chemistry and scientific thought, serving as a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in history of chemistry topics.

This book explores the human understanding of heat, from early cultural perceptions to the scientific developments that shaped thermal science. Beginning with historical musings on heat, it traces the evolution of scientific thought from 16th-century Italy to the quantum understanding of heat in the 20th century. The book examines how humans have perceived, measured, and produced heat, leading to a unified concept that has remained constant: "heat flows from a hot body to a cold body''. It serves as an excellent resource for chemists and anyone interested in the history of chemistry and science.