Hermann Franz Moritz Kopp
Hermann Franz Moritz Kopp ( born October 30, 1817 in Hanau, † February 20, 1892 in Heidelberg) was a German chemist and is considered one of the first historians of chemistry.
Life
Hermann Kopp was born as the son of the personal physician of the Grand Duke of Hesse, Johann Heinrich Kopp. One of his uncles was the later Hessian Minister Karl Wilhelm von Kopp.
Kopp attended the gymnasium of his native town, and had by his father, who occasionally engaged in experimental chemistry and mineralogy, probably early contact with the natural sciences. At 18, he went to Heidelberg, where he studied physics under chemistry Gmelin and Munke. He then moved to Marburg and received his PhD in 1838 on De oxydorum densitatis calculo reperiendae modo. In 1839 he entered into Liebig's laboratory in Giessen and his habilitation in 1841. After two years as a lecturer, he was promoted in 1843 as professor of physics and chemistry. In 1864 he was appointed professor at the University of Heidelberg, where he distinguished himself particularly in exploring the relationships between the physical properties and composition of chemical compounds as well as in the history of chemistry. He remained despite several calls from Berlin and Leipzig until his death in 1892 in Heidelberg.
Creation
Under Liebigs line, he studied in casting the decomposition of thiols by nitric acid, which should be his only purely chemical publication.
His main work is considered the history of chemistry, which he published as an addendum contributions to the history of chemistry later. The history of chemistry published in four volumes in the years 1843-47. Kopp published the first volume of two years after his habilitation at the age of 26 years. The immense amount of work, which was necessary for the review and compilation of the sources suggests that Kopp had already started its work at his college days. With Liebig he gave since 1847 and with Heinrich Will 1857-1862 the annual report on the progress of chemistry, physics, mineralogy and geology out and edited with Liebig and Friedrich Wöhler the Annalen der Chemie and Pharmacie 1851 (Volume 77) until his death in 1892.
In 1880 he was elected for one year to the Board of the German Chemical Society of Berlin.
In addition, he has published numerous papers on theoretical chemistry and performed in many areas of the then young physical chemistry basic research. Many of his works dealt with the specific volume, a topic to which Kopp published at the age of 22 years. Another area of research was the relationship between boiling points and the composition ( usually organic ) compounds.
In addition, he was concerned with relationships between molecular masses, relative density and specific heat capacity, and the relation between crystalline form and chemical nature of the specific volume of chemical compounds. Kopp also published in this field, such as with Heinrich Buff the textbook of physical and theoretical chemistry in 1857.
Works
- History of chemistry. 4 vols, Brunswick 1843-1847
- Introduction to the crystallography and in the crystallographic knowledge of the more important substances. Brunswick 1849 ( with Atlas ); 2nd edition 1862
- Contributions to the history of chemistry. 3 Tle, Brunswick 1869-1875
- The development of chemistry in modern times. 2 Tle, Munich 1871-1873
- Aurea catena Homeri. Braunschweig 1880
- The alchemy in ancient and modern times. A contribution to the history of civilization. Winter, Heidelberg, 1886
- Zus m. Heinrich Buff and Friedrich Zamminer: textbook of physical and theoretical chemistry. Brunswick 1857, 2nd edition 1863
- Something about weather information. Braunschweig 1879