Carl Gräbe
Encyclopedia
Carl Gräbe was a German
chemist
from Frankfurt am Main.
Gräbe studied at a vocational high school in Frankfurt
and Karlsruhe Polytechnic and in Heidelberg
. Later he worked for the chemical company Meister Lucius und Brüning (today Hoechst AG
). He supervised the production of Fuchsine
and researched violet colorants made of Iodine
. The work with Iodine gave Gräbe an eye infection, so he returned to academia.
Under the supervision of Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, Carl Gräbe received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg in 1862. In 1868 he wrote his habilitation
, and became a professor in Leipzig
. Gräbe was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Königsberg
from 1870 until 1877, and at the University of Geneva
from 1878 until 1906.
Together with Carl Theodore Liebermann
, he synthesized the orange-red dye
alizarin
in 1868; alizarin had been isolated and identified from madder root some forty years earlier in 1826 by the French chemist Pierre Robiquet, simultaneously with purpurin, a violet dye.
He also introduced the "ortho", "meta" and "para" nomenclature on benzene
rings.
He died in Frankfurt.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
from Frankfurt am Main.
Gräbe studied at a vocational high school in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Karlsruhe Polytechnic and in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. Later he worked for the chemical company Meister Lucius und Brüning (today Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG
Hoechst AG was a German chemicals then life-sciences company that became Aventis Deutschland after its merger with France's Rhône-Poulenc S.A. in 1999...
). He supervised the production of Fuchsine
Fuchsine
Fuchsine or rosaniline hydrochloride is a magenta dye with chemical formula C20H19N3·HCl. There are other similar chemical formulations of products sold as fuchsine, and several dozen other synonyms of this molecule....
and researched violet colorants made of Iodine
Iodine
Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The name is pronounced , , or . The name is from the , meaning violet or purple, due to the color of elemental iodine vapor....
. The work with Iodine gave Gräbe an eye infection, so he returned to academia.
Under the supervision of Robert Wilhelm Bunsen, Carl Gräbe received his PhD from the University of Heidelberg in 1862. In 1868 he wrote his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
, and became a professor in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. Gräbe was Professor of Chemistry at the University of Königsberg
University of Königsberg
The University of Königsberg was the university of Königsberg in East Prussia. It was founded in 1544 as second Protestant academy by Duke Albert of Prussia, and was commonly known as the Albertina....
from 1870 until 1877, and at the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
from 1878 until 1906.
Together with Carl Theodore Liebermann
Carl Theodore Liebermann
Carl Theodore Liebermann was a German chemist and student of Adolf von Baeyer.-Life:Liebermann first studied at the University of Heidelberg where Robert Wilhelm Bunsen was teaching. He then joined the group of Adolf von Baeyer at the University of Berlin where he received his Ph.D...
, he synthesized the orange-red dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
alizarin
Alizarin
Alizarin or 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone is an organic compound with formula that has been used throughout history as a prominent dye, originally derived from the roots of plants of the madder genus.Alizarin was used as a red dye for the English parliamentary "new model" army...
in 1868; alizarin had been isolated and identified from madder root some forty years earlier in 1826 by the French chemist Pierre Robiquet, simultaneously with purpurin, a violet dye.
He also introduced the "ortho", "meta" and "para" nomenclature on benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
rings.
He died in Frankfurt.