Eilhard Mitscherlich

Eilhard Mitscherlich (1794–1863) was a German chemist whose discovery of isomorphism helped establish crystallography. He also studied selenium and determined the composition of benzene.

Isomorphism (crystallography): The occurrence of different chemical compounds in the same crystal structure and form. Mitscherlich established this relationship by comparing phosphate and arsenate crystals.
Crystal morphology: The study of the external forms and symmetry of crystals. Comparing external forms was central to identifying compounds with similar crystalline shapes.
Jöns Jacob Berzelius: A Swedish chemist who helped establish modern chemical notation and atomic weights. Berzelius's work and correspondence shaped Mitscherlich's early chemical research.
University of Heidelberg: A research university founded in Heidelberg in 1386. Mitscherlich studied at Heidelberg before turning from Oriental studies toward chemistry.
Crystallography: The science of determining the arrangement of atoms in crystalline solids. His observations helped make crystal form a tool for studying chemical substances.
Chemical stoichiometry: The quantitative relationships between the amounts of substances in chemical reactions and compounds. Composition measurements helped distinguish chemical similarity from mere resemblance in crystal form.
Martin Heinrich Klaproth: A German chemist known for analyzing minerals and discovering several elements. Mitscherlich studied under Klaproth in Berlin before pursuing chemistry in Paris.
University of Paris: A historic university in Paris, reorganized after the French Revolution and Napoleonic period. Mitscherlich worked in Paris laboratories after Berzelius recommended him for chemical study.
Crystal system: A classification of crystals by the symmetry and geometry of their unit cells. Comparisons of crystal forms gave Mitscherlich a basis for recognizing isomorphism.
Goniometer: An instrument for measuring angles between crystal faces or other surfaces. Precise face-angle measurements made crystal-form comparisons quantitative.

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NitrobenzeneRelated: Mitscherlich prepared nitrobenzene in 1834 by treating benzene with fuming nitric acid.