Mitscherlich, Eilhardt

Eilhardt Mitscherlich, (born Jan. 17, 1794, Neuende, duchy of Oldenburg [Germany]—died Aug. 28, 1863, Berlin, Prussia), German chemist who promulgated the theory of isomorphism, a relationship between crystalline structure and chemical composition.

From 1818 to 1820 Mitscherlich worked in the Berlin laboratory of the German botanist Heinrich F. Link, where he first undertook the study of arsenates and phosphates. In 1819 he discovered from this study that compounds with similar composition often have the same crystalline structure. In 1821 he became professor of chemistry at the University of Berlin. He continued his studies of isomorphism and also made other important discoveries, including selenic acid (1827) and the monoclinic crystal form of sulfur (1823). He also named benzene, became the first to synthesize nitrobenzene in 1832, and was one of the first to recognize contact action, now known as catalytic action.