Gottlieb Kirchhoff
Encyclopedia
Gottlieb Sigismund Kirchhoff (19 February1764 – 14 February 1833) was a Russia
n chemist
. In 1812 he became the first person to convert starch
into a sugar
(corn syrup
), by heating it with sulfuric acid
. This sugar was eventually named glucose
. He also worked out a method of refining vegetable oil, and established a factory that prepared two tons of refined oil a day.
Since the sulfonic acid was not consumed, it was an early example of a catalyst
. (A term that Jöns Jacob Berzelius would later coin.)
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. In 1812 he became the first person to convert starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
into a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
(corn syrup
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a food syrup, which is made from the starch of maize and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. Corn syrup is used in foods to soften texture, add volume, prevent crystallization of sugar, and enhance flavor...
), by heating it with sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
. This sugar was eventually named glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
. He also worked out a method of refining vegetable oil, and established a factory that prepared two tons of refined oil a day.
Since the sulfonic acid was not consumed, it was an early example of a catalyst
Catalysis
Catalysis is the change in rate of a chemical reaction due to the participation of a substance called a catalyst. Unlike other reagents that participate in the chemical reaction, a catalyst is not consumed by the reaction itself. A catalyst may participate in multiple chemical transformations....
. (A term that Jöns Jacob Berzelius would later coin.)