Berzelius

Swedish chemist. Having lost his parents at a young age, he worked hard to graduate from the medical school at Uppsala University. During his time as a student, he read a German chemistry textbook based on the new chemistry of AL Lavoiser, and developed an interest in chemistry. He heard about AGAA Volta's electric piles, and in 1802 he received his doctorate with a thesis on the medical application of pile currents. While working at a hospital in Stockholm, he continued his chemical research as an unpaid assistant to the professor of medicine and pharmacy at the Medical College. He became acquainted with W. Hisinger, who was his landlord and a mine owner, and conducted joint research with him. Through this connection, he performed the electrolysis of many salts using a large voltaic cell owned by the Galvanian Society. This became the starting point for his later electrochemical dualism, which states that all compounds can be separated into positive and negative parts. In 1807, when the professor he was assistant to died, he took over the position, and in 1810, when the Medical College became an independent medical school, the Karolinska Institute, he devoted himself to chemical research. When he learned of J. Dalton's atomic theory, he immediately recognized its significance, and systematically studied bond weights, determining atomic weights using Dulong-Petit's law (1819) and the isomorphic law (1820), and publishing these as atomic weight tables (1814, 1818, 1828). He invented new element symbols using the initials of the elements to represent their atomic weights, and used these symbols and their numbers to indicate the composition of compounds, becoming the forerunner of modern chemical symbols. In 1808, he became a member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences. In 1828, he became Secretary General of the Academy, and was able to use a well-equipped laboratory, from which he began to spend most of his time conducting experimental research, writing books, and exchanging extensive letters. He also inherited the tradition of Swedish chemistry, and demonstrated excellent skills in chemical analysis, discovering cerium (1803), selenium (1817), and thorium (1828). He analyzed many compounds, confirmed the law of definite proportions, and included the results of his research in a Swedish chemistry textbook (1808-1812). This book was revised many times, translated into various languages, and widely circulated. He also reviewed chemical literature every year and compiled the results in the Annals of the Advancement of Physics and Chemistry (1822-1841). These played a major role in determining the direction of chemical research. He also introduced concepts such as isomerism (1831), allotropy (1840), and catalysis (1835). The word "protein" was also coined by him. His electrochemical dualism faced difficulties in interpreting organic compounds, and he was criticized by the younger generation, leading to theoretical isolation in his later years. In 1835, at the age of 56, he married the daughter of a friend (aged 24), and although they had no children, he spent his later years in good mental health. He trained many excellent students from all over Europe, including F. Wölher.

Source: Morikita Publishing "Chemical Dictionary (2nd Edition)" Information about the Chemical Dictionary 2nd Edition

スウェーデンの化学者．幼時に両親を失い，苦学してウプサラ大学医学部を卒業．在学中にA.L. Lavoiser(ラボアジエ)の新化学にもとづくドイツ語の化学教科書を読み，化学に関心をもつ．A.G.A.A. Volta(ボルタ)の電堆について聞き，1802年電堆電流の医学への応用の論文で学位を取得．ストックホルムでの病院勤務のかたわら，医学カレッジの医学薬学教授の無給助手として化学研究を続けた．家主で鉱山主であったW. Hisingerと知り合い共同研究を行った．そのつてでガルバーニ協会所有の大きなボルタ電池を使って多数の塩の電気分解を行った．これは，のちのすべての化合物は正負の部分に分けられるという電気化学的二元論の出発点となった．1807年助手を務めていた教授の死去でそのポストを継ぎ，1810年医学カレッジが独立の医学校Karolinska Instituteとなり，化学研究に専念した．J. Dalton(ドルトン)の原子論を知ったかれは，ただちにその意義を認め，結合重量の研究を系統的に行い，デュロン-プティーの法則(1819年)や同形律(1820年)などを援用して原子量を決定し，原子量表として発表(1814，1818，1828年)した．元素の頭文字で元素と原子量を表すあらたな元素記号を考案し，これとその数から化合物の組成を示し，近代的な化学記号の先駆けとなった．1808年スウェーデン科学アカデミー会員．1828年アカデミーの事務局長になり，設備の整った実験室が使えるようになって実験的研究と著作，広範な文通に大部分の時間を費やすようになった．スウェーデン化学の伝統も受け継いで，化学分析にすぐれた技量を発揮し，セリウム(1803年)，セレン(1817年)，トリウム(1828年)を発見した．多くの化合物の分析を行い，定比例の法則を確認し，その研究の成果をスウェーデン語の化学教科書に盛り込んだ(1808～1812年)．同書は改訂を重ね，各国語にも翻訳され広く普及した．さらに毎年化学文献を精査し，“物理と化学の進歩についての年報”(1822～1841年)にまとめた．これらは化学研究の方向を決定する大きな役割を果たした．異性現象(1831年)，同素体(1840年)，触媒(1835年)などの概念も導入した．タンパク質を意味するproteinもかれの造語である．かれの電気化学的二元論は，有機化合物の解釈で困難に直面し，若い世代から批判され晩年は理論的に孤立した．1835年に56歳で友人の娘(24歳)と結婚し，子供はなかったが精神的には安定した晩年を送った．F. Wölher(ウェーラー)をはじめとして，ヨーロッパ各地から集まる多くの優秀な学生を育てた．

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