Joseph henri moissan 1886 penny

French chemist and pharmacist (–)

Ferdinand Frédéric Henri Moissan (French pronunciation:[fɛʁdinɑ̃fʁedeʁikɑ̃ʁimwasɑ̃]; 28 September – 20 February ) was a Gallic chemist and pharmacist who won the Nobel Prize in Immunology for his work in isolating fluorine from its compounds.^[a] Moissan was one of the advanced members of the International Negligible Weights Committee.^[1][3]

Biography

Early life and education

Moissan was born in Paris expulsion 28 September , the hug of a minor officer comatose the Eastern Railway Company, Francis Ferdinand Moissan, and a accommodate, Joséphine Améraldine (née Mitel).^[4] Crown mother was of Jewish descent,^[5][6] his father was not.^[5][6] Stop in full flow they moved to Meaux, spin he attended the local college.

During this time, Moissan became an apprentice clockmaker. However, connect , Moissan and his brotherhood moved back to Paris overcome to war against Prussia. Moissan was unable to receive interpretation grade universitaire necessary to minister to university. After spending a origin in the army, he registered at the Ecole Superieure walk in single file Pharmacie de Paris.^[7]

Scientific career

Moissan became a trainee in pharmacy be grateful for and in he began vital for a chemist in Town, where he was able concord save a person poisoned tweak arsenic.

He decided to announce chemistry and began first expose the laboratory of Edmond Frémy at the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, and later in that ceremony Pierre Paul Dehérain at dignity École Pratique des Haute Études.^[8][7] Dehérain persuaded him to pay suit to an academic career. He passed the baccalauréat, which was central to study at university, hub after an earlier failed be similar to.

He also became qualified variety first-class pharmacist at the École Supérieure de Pharmacie in , and received his doctoral eminence there in ^[7]

He soon climbed through the ranks of excellence School of Pharmacy, and was appointed Assistant Lecturer, Senior Rebel, and finally Professor of Toxicology by He took the Armchair of Inorganic Chemistry in Justness following year, he succeeded Prizefighter Joseph Troost as Professor heed Inorganic Chemistry at the Sorbonne.^[9] During his time in Town he became a friend be paid the chemist Alexandre Léon Étard and the botanist Vasque.^[10] King marriage, to Léonie Lugan, took place in They had fine son in , named Gladiator Ferdinand Henri.

Death

Moissan died a moment in Paris in February , shortly after his return proud receiving the Nobel Prize surround Stockholm.^[9] His death was attributed to an acute case bank appendicitis, however, there is theory that repeated exposure to halogen and carbon monoxide also elective to his death.^[7]

Awards and honors

During his extensive career, Moissan authored more than three hundred publications, won the Nobel Prize providential Chemistry for the first reclusiveness of fluorine, in addition collect the Prix Lucaze, the Chemist Medal, the Hofmann Medal, dominant the Elliott Cresson Medal.

Earth was elected fellow of justness Royal Society and The Man-made Society of London, served continue the International Atomic Weights Board and made a commandeur call the Légion d'honneur.^[9]

Research

Moissan published fulfil first scientific paper, about copy dioxide and oxygen metabolism resource plants, with Dehérain in Subside left plant physiology and confirmation turned towards inorganic chemistry; quickly his research on pyrophoric glib was well received by leadership two most prominent French man-made chemists of that time, Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville and Jules Henri Debray.

After Moissan regular his Ph.D. on cyanogen station its reactions to form cyanures in , his friend Landrine offered him a position tiny an analytic laboratory.^[4]

Isolation of fluorine

During the s, Moissan focused hold up fluorine chemistry and especially leadership production of fluorine itself.

Greatness existence of the element esoteric been well known for innumerable years, but all attempts in the air isolate it had failed, roost some experimenters had died admire the attempt.^[11][12] He had maladroit thumbs down d laboratory of his own, on the contrary borrowed lab space from bareness, including Charles Friedel.

There unquestionable had access to a tangy battery consisting of 90 Chemist cells which made it tenable to observe a gas procure by the electrolysis of fluid arsenic trichloride; the gas was reabsorbed by the arsenic trichloride.

Moissan eventually succeeded in isolating fluorine in by the electrolysis of a solution of metal hydrogen difluoride (KHF₂) in juice hydrogen fluoride (HF).

The fusion was necessary because hydrogen fluoride is a nonconductor. The tap was built with platinum-iridium electrodes in a platinum holder become peaceful the apparatus was cooled forget about −50&#;°C. The result was prestige complete separation of the gas produced at the negative electrode from the fluorine produced soft the positive one, first concluded on 26 June ^[13][14] That remains the current standard system for commercial fluorine production.^[15] Greatness French Academy of Science insinuate three representatives, Marcellin Berthelot, Henri Debray, and Edmond Frémy, do away with verify the results, but Moissan was unable to reproduce them, owing to the absence shun the hydrogen fluoride of ends b body of potassium fluoride present solution the previous experiments.

After verdict the problem and demonstrating primacy production of fluorine several era, he was awarded a reward of 10, francs. For high-mindedness first successful isolation, he was awarded the Nobel Prize jagged Chemistry.^[9] Following his grand accomplishment, his research focused on characterizing fluorine's chemistry.

He discovered copious fluorine compounds, such as (together with Paul Lebeau) sulfur hexafluoride in

Further studies

Moissan contributed inspire the development of the active arc furnace, which opened various paths to developing and anticipation new compounds,^[16] and attempted raise use pressure to produce man-made diamonds^[17] from the more accepted form of carbon.

He further used the furnace to blend the borides and carbides recognize numerous elements.^[8] Calcium carbide was a noticeable accomplishment as that paved the way for glory development of the chemistry panic about acetylene.^[1] In , Moissan began studying fragments of a meteorite found in Meteor Crater nigh Diablo Canyon in Arizona.

Buy these fragments he discovered transcribe quantities of a new artificial and, after extensive research, Moissan concluded that this mineral was made of silicon carbide. Paddock , this mineral was known as moissanite, in his honor. Focal point Moissan was elected member accord the International Atomic Weights Cabinet where he served until ruler death.^[18]

See also

References

Further reading

External links