Wheeler respected his mentor Berias all his life. However, in pursuit of the truth, he and his mentor had an extremely heated debate. ...
It was in 1824, and Wheeler had just left Baizilias and returned to Germany from Sweden.
Wheeler was immersed in the study of cyanic acid.
On one occasion, Wheeler intended to make ammonium cyanate. In principle, ammonium cyanate can be prepared by pouring ammonia water into cyanic acid. He poured ammonia water into cyanic acid and slowly heated it with fire, trying to evaporate the solution to get ammonium cyanate crystals. However, evaporation process is too slow. While warming up, Willer was busy translating the chemical literature brought back from Sweden into German.
Before going to bed, Weller stopped heating when he saw that there was little solution left.
Early in the morning, he woke up and saw, hey, how can there be colorless needle-like crystals in the evaporating dish? It's really strange. Obviously, this is different from the ammonium cyanate crystal he made in the past.
It is reasonable to add potassium hydroxide solution to ammonium cyanate. After heating, ammonia gas will be released and smell (ammonia gas). However, no matter how heated, the needle-like crystal dissolved and added with potassium hydroxide could not smell the smell of ammonia.
Strange, what is this "ammonium cyanate"?
At that time, Wheeler was too busy with other things to devote himself to, and he went away for four years.
1828, when Wheeler recreated this kind of "ammonium cyanate", it was not easily let go.
After careful study, he proved that this needle-like crystal is not ammonium cyanate, but urea!
Urea is the excreta of animals and people. In human urine, there is a lot of urea. An adult excretes about 30 grams of urea every day. Urea made in Weiler is exactly the same as urea in urine.
Wheeler immediately realized the importance of this discovery. Because he knew that urea was an organic compound [26]. He made urea from inorganic substances-cyanic acid and ammonia. This is unprecedented in the history of chemistry. Prior to this, no one had artificially produced organic compounds (although in 1824, Willer had artificially produced oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is an organic compound. However, because oxalic acid is not a very important and typical organic compound, it has not attracted attention, and Wheeler himself has let it go. He won't make a statement easily without careful consideration.
Wheeler immediately thought of his mentor Bezlias. In chemistry, as early as 1806, it was Baijilias who first put forward the concept of "organic chemistry".
Wheeler wrote to Baijilias excitedly:
"I want to tell you that I can make urea without the help of human or dog kidneys. Can this synthetic urea be regarded as a precedent for inorganic substances to make organic substances? "
Unexpectedly, Bezilias was indifferent to Weller's discovery.
Baijilias pointed out the concept of "organic chemistry" and repeatedly stressed:
"... in the field of organic matter, elements obey another law, which is different from the law of inorganic matter ... Organic matter is the product of life process, so organic matter can only be produced by a wonderful' vitality' in cells. "
He called "organic chemistry" "the chemistry of substances formed under the influence of vitality".
As for "vitality", what is it?
His answer is: "mysterious, unknowable, intangible and resistant to any theoretical explanation."
This is the so-called "vitality theory".
Willer's discovery is obviously a heavy blow to the theory of vitality. It is proved that organic compounds can not be made by artificial methods by mysterious "vitality".
There is a serious difference between teachers and students.
Although Gilleas once said: "Being used to fixed views often leads to mistakes." Mei-yu also has flaws. Influenced by the "fixed viewpoint" of "vitality theory", the chemical authority made many mistakes.
Thanks to Gilleas's reply to Wheeler, he sarcastically asked, Can you make a child in the laboratory?
Others follow the authoritative tone, saying that urea is the excrement of animals and people, and it is an unnecessary waste. It can't be regarded as "real organic matter", but at best it is "something between inorganic matter and organic matter"!
Where's Wheeler? He is very calm. Even if the tutor's words are unscientific, he will not listen to them. He dares to stick to the truth [27].
Practice has finally proved that the truth is in Willer's hands: 13 years later, people made an important organic compound-acetic acid by artificial method in 1845. Then tartaric acid (contained in grapes), citric acid (contained in lemon juice and orange juice), succinic acid (contained in grapes) and malic acid (contained in many immature fruits) were artificially synthesized ... 1854, and people also synthesized oil from glycerol and fatty acids.
The theory of "vitality" finally went bankrupt completely.
Baijilias still insists on his "vitality theory". However, in the letter to Wheeler, he also had to admit Wheeler's achievements:
"Whoever has laid an immortal foundation in the work of synthesizing urea will hopefully take this opportunity to reach the peak. Indeed, doctor, you are moving towards the goal of immortal fame. "
Where's Wheeler? He said:
"At present, organic chemistry is remarkable. For me, it is a dense forest, an endless forest, and I am willing to break into it ... "
Indeed, Wheeler bravely broke in and became the first pioneers in this virgin land. He won a high reputation for his pioneering spirit of defying difficulties and cutting through difficulties.
Although there was such a fierce argument between teachers and students, and Weller was the winner, Weller always had deep respect for his tutor. Because of this, the close friendship between teachers and students. Has always existed between Jyberg as and Wheeler.
Wheeler, like Bezilias, attaches great importance to cultivating young people. He taught for 60 years in his life and trained tens of thousands of students.
Willer made outstanding contributions to chemistry and won a high reputation. Berlin, Giessen, Bonn, Stockholm, Paris, Petersburg, London, Turin ... Many colleges and universities employ Willer as an academician or honorary professor.
When French chemist De Ville made aluminum, people used this rare "precious metal" to cast medals. On one side of the medal, Charles Louis Napolé on Bonaparte's portrait is cast, and on the other side, Wheeler's name and the words "1829" are cast ... Because Wheeler was the first to decompose aluminum trichloride with potassium at 1829, metallic aluminum was separated. Soon, Napoleon hired Wheeler as honorary adviser.
Wheeler is very modest. He wrote a book "Experimental Course of Analytical Chemistry" and refused to sign it. Why? Because everyone can write such a booklet.
1882 July 3 1 day is Wheeler's 82nd birthday. Many celebrities came to congratulate. Weller was optimistic and humorous, and said at the birthday party, "You are too impatient to give me a birthday. It's not too late to congratulate me when I live to be 90. "
He said this less than two months-1September 23, 882, and he died.
People use such concise words to summarize Wheeler's long life:
"He has been engaged in chemistry all his life-either studying chemistry, teaching chemistry or studying chemistry!"
When Willer died, he left a will. There is no bronze or marble monument on his grave, only a stone engraved with his name-no "title" is allowed!
After Weller's death, people counted that he published more than 270 chemical papers and won 3 17 honors all over the world.