“Organic-galvanic:
A. Wilhelm von Hofmann’s
Synthetic lab efforts
T’ward aniline dyes
Yield rearrangement and elimination;
Molecular models; and
Name schemes devised.”
The 8 April 2023 Twitter poem marked a rare occasion where I was able to both 1) realize a chemist had a birthdate during NaPoWriMo and 2) commemorate it on the appropriate day, as noted in the essay title. This poem summarizes some of the accomplishments of August Wilhelm von Hoffman (1818-1892), who (contrary to the intermittency perhaps suggested by the title!) contributed countless major insights to the field of organic chemistry throughout his career.
“Organic-galvanic..”
August Wilhelm von Hofmann was a synthetic organic chemist whose work spurred many research advances, galvanizing the field in multiple ways. Moreover, I had not realized until writing this essay that he was one of the first scientists to actually use the phrase “organic synthesis,” making the first line even more fitting.
“A. Wilhelm von Hofmann’s /
Synthetic lab efforts /
T’ward aniline dyes..”
Hofmann’s overarching endeavors in the experimental organic lab involved discerning the properties and components of coal tar, a byproduct of the coal industry. He showed that it was largely composed of aniline, a compound consisting of an aromatic hydrocarbon ring bonded to an amino group (-NH2).
As Hofmann and his research students worked on exploring coal tars generally and this compound specifically, several overlaps and discoveries arose regarding the possibility of using these highly conjugated compounds to form synthetic (lab-made) aniline dyes— a lucrative endeavor given that, previously, dyestuffs were available only via natural sources.
(Perhaps most famously, one of Hofmann’s research students, William Henry Perkin, synthesized mauveine in 1853, having used aniline as a starting material in a potential synthesis of quinine that went serendipitously awry.)
“…Yield rearrangement and elimination; /
Molecular models; and /
Name schemes devised.”
These last few lines summarize a few more accomplishments from Hofmann’s storied career. Multiple organic chemistry reactions are named for him, including the two (the Hofmann rearrangement and the Hofmann elimination) specifically noted here. He also pioneered the use of molecular models, building kits akin to chemical Tinkertoys that students use to simulate the three-dimensional structures of molecules, noting how atoms bond to one another. Finally, he contributed to the nomenclature (naming) rules for organic compounds.
Chemphasis 