Cannizzaro, Stanislao
Published: August 23, 2008, 4:44 pm
Updated: August 23, 2008, 4:44 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Peter SaundryIn 1858, two years after Amedeo Avogadro's death, his fellow Italian Stanislao Cannizzaro (1826–1910) outlined a course in theoretical chemistry for students at the University of Genoa—where he had to teach without benefit of a laboratory. He used Avogadro's hypothesis as a pathway out of the confusion rampant among chemists about atomic weights and the fundamental structure of chemical compounds.
By all accounts Cannizzaro was much clearer in his explanations than Avogadro, and as an organic chemist he also showed how Avogadro's ideas could be applied to this branch of chemistry. In 1860 the first international chemical congress was held in Karlsruhe, Germany, to settle some of the contemporary chemical disputes—how to define molecule and atom, what chemical nomenclature to use, how to determine atomic weights, and so on. After much discussion the chemists agreed to return home to decide for themselves how to proceed. However, many participants carried away a handout, a printed version of Cannizzaro's outline, that seemed convincing upon later reading.
At this time Cannizzaro was in the midst of eventful chemical and political careers. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, where his father was a magistrate and the minister of police, and he later attended medical school there, which kindled an interest in chemistry. Despite his family's connections to the royal court in Naples, he joined the antimonarchical 1848 revolution in Sicily. When it failed, he fled to Paris, where he resumed his chemical studies. After returning to Italy, he held academic appointments in Alessandria, where he worked out the "Cannizzaro reaction"—the self-oxidation and self-reduction of aldehydes—and Genoa, where he expounded Avogadro's hypothesis. He next supported Giuseppe Garibaldi's Sicilian revolt of 1860 and took part in the new government centered in Palermo. During this time he expanded the program of chemical studies at the university there. Upon Italian unification in 1871 he moved to Rome, where he continued his roles as a public figure and as a chemical scientist and educator.
Further Reading
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
Are you absolutely sure you want to remove this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Remove This Article
Citation
Chemical Heritage Foundation (Lead Author);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Cannizzaro, Stanislao". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 23, 2008; Last revised Date August 23, 2008; Retrieved May 19, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cannizzaro,_Stanislao>
The Author
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) serves the community of the chemical and molecular sciences, and the wider public, by treasuring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. CHF maintains a world-class collection of materials that document the history and heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries; encourages research in CHF collections; and carries out a program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an understanding of the ro ... (Full Bio)
In 1858, two years after Amedeo Avogadro's death, his fellow Italian Stanislao Cannizzaro (1826–1910) outlined a course in theoretical chemistry for students at the University of Genoa—where he had to teach without benefit of a laboratory. He used Avogadro's hypothesis as a pathway out of the confusion rampant among chemists about atomic weights and the fundamental structure of chemical compounds.
By all accounts Cannizzaro was much clearer in his explanations than Avogadro, and as an organic chemist he also showed how Avogadro's ideas could be applied to this branch of chemistry. In 1860 the first international chemical congress was held in Karlsruhe, Germany, to settle some of the contemporary chemical disputes—how to define molecule and atom, what chemical nomenclature to use, how to determine atomic weights, and so on. After much discussion the chemists agreed to return home to decide for themselves how to proceed. However, many participants carried away a handout, a printed version of Cannizzaro's outline, that seemed convincing upon later reading.
At this time Cannizzaro was in the midst of eventful chemical and political careers. He was born in Palermo, Sicily, where his father was a magistrate and the minister of police, and he later attended medical school there, which kindled an interest in chemistry. Despite his family's connections to the royal court in Naples, he joined the antimonarchical 1848 revolution in Sicily. When it failed, he fled to Paris, where he resumed his chemical studies. After returning to Italy, he held academic appointments in Alessandria, where he worked out the "Cannizzaro reaction"—the self-oxidation and self-reduction of aldehydes—and Genoa, where he expounded Avogadro's hypothesis. He next supported Giuseppe Garibaldi's Sicilian revolt of 1860 and took part in the new government centered in Palermo. During this time he expanded the program of chemical studies at the university there. Upon Italian unification in 1871 he moved to Rome, where he continued his roles as a public figure and as a chemical scientist and educator.
Further Reading
Are you absolutely sure you want to delete this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Delete This Article
Are you absolutely sure you want to remove this article? This process cannot be undone and is permanent.
Yes, Remove This Article
Site Options
Stanislao Cannizzaro (Source:Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Collection, Department of Special Collections, University of Pennsylvania Library)
0 Comments
Add Comment