2008/09/01 by Soledad Esteban · 3 citations
Chemistry · #History and advancements in chemistry #Various Chemistry Research Topics
paper · doi:10.1021/ed085p1201
openalex publication_date 2008/09/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/11
Very often controversies contribute to the development of science. An example is the conflict between Liebig and Wöhler on the occasion of their analyses of fulminates and cyanates, which showed that compounds with different properties could have the same composition. Their results, together with other similar evidences, led Berzelius to recognize the phenomenon of isomerism, one of the fundamental concepts in organic chemistry, and the foundation of the study of structural chemistry. This little controversy was also the starting point for a long friendship between Liebig and Wöhler, often partners in work that gave rise to other important advances in chemistry. The story of the Liebig–Wöhler controversy and the historical development of isomerism make interesting anecdotal material for lectures and can help increase interest in science at the high school level.