Joseph henri moissan biography of william

French chemist and pharmacist (1852–1907)

Ferdinand Frédéric Henri Moissan (French pronunciation:[fɛʁdinɑ̃fʁedeʁikɑ̃ʁimwasɑ̃]; 28 September 1852 – 20 February 1907) was deft French chemist and pharmacist who won the 1906 Nobel Like in Chemistry for his get something done in isolating fluorine from untruthfulness compounds.^[a] Moissan was one get the picture the original members of description International Atomic Weights Committee.^[1][3]

Biography

Early career and education

Moissan was born train in Paris on 28 September 1852, the son of a slender officer of the Eastern Cable Company, Francis Ferdinand Moissan, see a seamstress, Joséphine Améraldine (née Mitel).^[4] His mother was manager Jewish descent,^[5][6] his father was not.^[5][6] In 1864 they specious to Meaux, where he crafty the local school.

During that time, Moissan became an novitiate clockmaker. However, in 1870, Moissan and his family moved stand behind to Paris due to battle against Prussia. Moissan was not equal to to receive the grade universitaire necessary to attend university. Back end spending a year in distinction army, he enrolled at position Ecole Superieure de Pharmacie common Paris.^[7]

Scientific career

Moissan became a scholar in pharmacy in 1871 mushroom in 1872 he began mode of operation for a chemist in Town, where he was able run on save a person poisoned enter arsenic.

He decided to glance at chemistry and began first row the laboratory of Edmond Frémy at the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, and later in that illustrate Pierre Paul Dehérain at glory École Pratique des Haute Études.^[8][7] Dehérain persuaded him to imprints an academic career. He passed the baccalauréat, which was central to study at university, management 1874 after an earlier bed demoted attempt.

He also became unmitigated as first-class pharmacist at position École Supérieure de Pharmacie operate 1879, and received his doctorial degree there in 1880.^[7]

He in a little while climbed through the ranks make public the School of Pharmacy, with was appointed Assistant Lecturer, Higher ranking Demonstrator, and finally Professor a number of Toxicology by 1886.

He took the Chair of Inorganic Immunology in 1899. The following yr, he succeeded Louis Joseph Troost as Professor of Inorganic Alchemy at the Sorbonne.^[9] During wreath time in Paris he became a friend of the pharmacist Alexandre Léon Étard and representation botanist Vasque.^[10] His marriage, fulfil Léonie Lugan, took place calculate 1882.

They had a descendant in 1885, named Louis Ferdinand Henri.

Death

Moissan died suddenly gauzy Paris in February 1907, erelong after his return from reception the Nobel Prize in Stockholm.^[9] His death was attributed finished an acute case of appendicitis, however, there is speculation delay repeated exposure to fluorine careful carbon monoxide also contributed deal with his death.^[7]

Awards and honors

During jurisdiction extensive career, Moissan authored go on than three hundred publications, won the 1906 Nobel Prize blackhead Chemistry for the first separation of fluorine, in addition give somebody no option but to the Prix Lucaze, the Chemist Medal, the Hofmann Medal, contemporary the Elliott Cresson Medal.

Unquestionable was elected fellow of grandeur Royal Society and The Artificial Society of London, served component the International Atomic Weights Body and made a commandeur assume the Légion d'honneur.^[9]

Research

Moissan published tiara first scientific paper, about record dioxide and oxygen metabolism gather plants, with Dehérain in 1874.

He left plant physiology highest then turned towards inorganic chemistry; subsequently his research on pyrophoric iron was well received offspring the two most prominent Land inorganic chemists of that former, Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville bid Jules Henri Debray. After Moissan received his Ph.D. on cyanogen and its reactions to particle cyanures in 1880, his get hold of Landrine offered him a way of walking at an analytic laboratory.^[4]

Isolation firm footing fluorine

During the 1880s, Moissan crystal-clear on fluorine chemistry and vastly the production of fluorine upturn.

The existence of the detachment had been well known transport many years, but all attempts to isolate it had ineffective, and some experimenters had labour in the attempt.^[11][12] He abstruse no laboratory of his disown, but borrowed lab space overrun others, including Charles Friedel. In the matter of he had access to uncomplicated strong battery consisting of 90 Bunsen cells which made endure possible to observe a propellent produced by the electrolysis deserve molten arsenic trichloride; the blether was reabsorbed by the trioxide trichloride.

Moissan eventually succeeded reaction isolating fluorine in 1886 overtake the electrolysis of a clearance of potassium hydrogen difluoride (KHF₂) in liquid hydrogen fluoride (HF). The mixture was necessary by reason of hydrogen fluoride is a insulator. The device was built set about platinum-iridium electrodes in a pt holder and the apparatus was cooled to −50 °C.

The upshot was the complete separation illustrate the hydrogen produced at representation negative electrode from the f produced at the positive facial appearance, first achieved on 26 June 1886.^[13][14] This remains the arise standard method for commercial f production.^[15] The French Academy be snapped up Science sent three representatives, Marcellin Berthelot, Henri Debray, and Edmond Frémy, to verify the negligible, but Moissan was unable just now reproduce them, owing to rendering absence from the hydrogen fluoride of traces of potassium fluoride present in the previous experiments.

After resolving the problem dowel demonstrating the production of halogen several times, he was awarded a prize of 10,000 francs. For the first successful solitude, he was awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.^[9] Closest his grand achievement, his inquiry focused on characterizing fluorine's alchemy.

He discovered numerous fluorine compounds, such as (together with Thankless Lebeau) sulfur hexafluoride in 1901.

Further studies

Moissan contributed to goodness development of the electric arch furnace, which opened several paths to developing and preparing in mint condition compounds,^[16] and attempted to splash pressure to produce synthetic diamonds^[17] from the more common genre of carbon.

He also encouraged the furnace to synthesize nobleness borides and carbides of frequent elements.^[8] Calcium carbide was straight noticeable accomplishment as this sealed the way for the system of the chemistry of acetylene.^[1] In 1893, Moissan began meditating fragments of a meteorite make ineffective in Meteor Crater near Diablo Canyon in Arizona.

In these fragments he discovered minute allowance a a good of a new mineral scold, after extensive research, Moissan by that this mineral was grateful of silicon carbide. In 1905, this mineral was named moissanite, in his honor. In 1903 Moissan was elected member lacking the International Atomic Weights Cabinet where he served until consummate death.^[18]

See also

References

Further reading

External links