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Albert Niemann (chemist)
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Albert Niemann (May 20 1834 – January 19 1861) was a German chemist. In 1859 he became the first person to isolate cocaine, and he published his finding in 1860.
he 19th century, there was a great interest among European chemists in the effects of coca leaves discovered in Latin America.
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Albert Niemann (May 20 1834 – January 19 1861) was a German chemist. In 1859 he became the first person to isolate cocaine, and he published his finding in 1860.
Cocaine
In the 19th century, there was a great interest among European chemists in the effects of coca leaves discovered in Latin America. However, little progress was made in extracting coca's active ingredients.
Niemann was a Ph.D. student at the University of Göttingen. Friedrich Wöhler, Ordinary Professor of Chemistry at Göttingen University, had coco leaves imported to Germany and he gave those leaves to Niemann, his graduate student, to analyze. In 1859, Niemann isolated cocaine from coca leaves. He extracted the primary alkaloid and named the ingredient "cocaine"–as with other alkaloids its name carried the “-ine” suffix (from Latin -ina). He wrote of the alkaloid's “colourless transparent prisms” and said that, “Its solutions have an alkaline reaction, a bitter taste, promote the flow of saliva and leave a peculiar numbness, followed by a sense of cold when applied to the tongue.” He published his finding in 1860 in his dissertation titled Über eine neue organische Base in den Cocablättern (On a New Organic Base in the Coca Leaves). This dissertation earned him his Ph.D. and was published in 1860 in the journal Archiv der Pharmazie.
Sulfur mustard
During experiments with ethylene and sulfurchloride, Niemann discovered bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide which was later named sulfur mustard and used extensively as chemical warfare agent in World War I.
He describes the properties as:
Sie besteht darin, daß selbst die geringste Spur, die zufallig auf irgend eine Stelle der Haut kommt, anfangs zwar keinen Schrnerz hervorruft, nach Verlauf einiger Stunden aber eine Rötung derselben bewirkt und bis zum folgenden Tage eine Brandblase hervorbringt, die sehr lange eitert und außerordentlich schwer heilt , unter Hinterlassung starker Narben. (They are represented by the fact that, even traces brought into contact with the skin, at first result in no pain, but after several hours result in a reddening of the skin, later blisters from burns, which fester for a long time and seriously awful heal, leaving strong scars.)
Death
Niemann died on January 19 1861 in Goslar, Germany. After the death of Niemann, his colleague Wilhelm Lossen continued his investigations, and identified the chemical formula of cocaine in 1862.
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