Carl Gräbe

Carl James Peter Graebe ( born February 24, 1841 in Frankfurt am Main, † January 19, 1927 ibid; sometimes Carl Gräbe ) was a German chemist. According to him and Fritz Ullmann the Graebe - Ullmann synthesis is named.

Biography

Graebe was the eldest son of Frankfurt 's trade and Hessian Consul Carl Graebe (1797-1879), who has done a lot for Frankfurt- Praunheim; after his father is there named the Graebestraße.

Graebe visited the Abel and Simonsche teaching and educational institution for boys and the higher vocational school in Frankfurt. In 1858 he began to study mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe. In 1860 he moved to Heidelberg, where he studied chemistry with Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. After receiving his doctorate in 1862, he continued his studies in Marburg.

In 1864 he appeared as a second chemist in the Color Meister Lucius and Bruning in Höchst. He was responsible for the supervision of the then still small fuchsin fabrication. He also experimented on with the collection of iodine - violet, which led to the discovery of iodine - greens in the further course. But by working with iodine is Graebe moved to a lengthy eye inflammation network and therefore left the factory soon. After a short time as an office assistant at the paper mill Flinsch he went on a trip to Italy.

After his return in 1865 he came to Adolf von Baeyer, who was then a professor at the Commercial Academy in Berlin. It was the year in which, joined Friedrich August Kekulé von Stradonitz (1829-1896) with the new theory of the composition of benzene, a pioneer in organic chemistry to the public. Graebe handle problems from the field of Benzochemie. It owes Graebe researching about the quinones. This latter work led him in 1868, together with Carl Liebermann to determine the chemical structure of the orange - red dye alizarin. This first synthesis of a natural dye has the reputation of the young German color industry in the world strengthened exceedingly. 1869 reported both the production of alizarin from anthracene in Prussia (23 March 1869), France and England for a patent. After negotiations with the Highest color works had failed, put the Badische Aniline and Soda Factory manufactures the synthetic madder. Graebe led the ortho, meta and para - substitution pattern, a nomenclature for the benzene ring.

1868 Habilitation Graebe and became a lecturer in 1869 in Leipzig. From 1870 to 1877 he was professor of chemistry in Königsberg, and from 1878 to 1906 in Geneva. After retiring from teaching to Graebe has turned in Frankfurt historical tasks.

Graebe was Privy Councillor, awarded several honorary doctorate holders and the highest scientific awards, including 1911, the Lavoisier Medal of the Société Chimique de France. He was a member, honorary member and a corresponding member of numerous scientific societies, including since 1907 President of the German Chemical Society. 1887 of Sciences Leopoldina was included in the German academy.

He has published, among others, in 1920 the work history of organic chemistry. His grave is located in the main cemetery Frankfurt.