Carl von Than
Encyclopedia
Carl von Than or Károly Than (20 December 1834 – 5 July 1908) was a Hungarian
chemist
who discovered carbonyl sulfide
in 1867.
. He interrupted his education and joined the Hungarian army in the war of independence
1848 at the age of 14. On his return, he found his mother dead and his father ruined. Than worked in several pharmacies to earn money form completing his education. After attending a school in Szeged
, Than started to study medicine and later chemistry at the University of Vienna
. He received his PhD for work with Josef Redtenbacher
in 1858. After working for some time as assistant of Redtenbacher, he left to study with Robert Bunsen
at the University of Heidelberg and with Charles-Adolphe Wurtz
at the University of Paris
. On his return to Redtenbacher in 1859, he worked as lecturer at the University of Vienna.
The University of Budapest
was in need of Hungarian-speaking professors due to a change from German to Hungarian teaching language in 1860. Theodor Wertheim
changed to the University of Graz
and Than was offered the vacant position which he occupied until his retirement in 1908. Than married in 1872 and had five children. He published the first Hungarian chemistry journal (Magyar Chémiai Folyóirat) and was the president of the Hungarian Society of Natural Science from 1872 until his death. He was made baron in 1908, and died, suddenly, the same year.
(CO2) and carbon disulfide
(CS2) and so he tried to synthesize COS. In his first experiments he reacted carbon monoxide
(CO) with sulfur
. The reaction yielded some product which Than was unable to purify. The second approach to create the COS was by hydrolysis of thiocyanic acid
. The reaction of potassium thiocyanate
and sulfuric acid
yielded a gas containing significant amount of byproducts (HCN, H2O
and CS2) and required purification.
Than was able to characterize most of the properties of carbonyl sulfide and also tried to determine the chemical reactions of carbonyl sulfide. For these achievements, he received the Lieben Prize
in 1868.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
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...
who discovered carbonyl sulfide
Carbonyl sulfide
Carbonyl sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula OCS. Commonly written as COS, it is a colourless flammable gas with an unpleasant odor. It is a linear molecule consisting of a carbonyl group double bonded to a sulfur atom...
in 1867.
Life
Anton Károly Than was born in Óbecse, which at that time was part of Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. He interrupted his education and joined the Hungarian army in the war of independence
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
1848 at the age of 14. On his return, he found his mother dead and his father ruined. Than worked in several pharmacies to earn money form completing his education. After attending a school in Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
, Than started to study medicine and later chemistry at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
. He received his PhD for work with Josef Redtenbacher
Josef Redtenbacher
Josef Redtenbacher was an Austrian chemist born in Kirchdorf an der Krems, Upper Austria. He was a brother to entomologist Ludwig Redtenbacher ....
in 1858. After working for some time as assistant of Redtenbacher, he left to study with Robert Bunsen
Robert Bunsen
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium and rubidium with Gustav Kirchhoff. Bunsen developed several gas-analytical methods, was a pioneer in photochemistry, and did early work in the field of organoarsenic...
at the University of Heidelberg and with Charles-Adolphe Wurtz
Charles-Adolphe Wurtz
Adolphe Wurtz was an Alsatian French chemist. He is best remembered for his decades-long advocacy for the atomic theory and for ideas about the structures of chemical compounds, against the skeptical opinions of chemists such as Marcellin Berthelot and Etienne Henri Sainte-Claire Deville...
at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
. On his return to Redtenbacher in 1859, he worked as lecturer at the University of Vienna.
The University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
was in need of Hungarian-speaking professors due to a change from German to Hungarian teaching language in 1860. Theodor Wertheim
Theodor Wertheim
Theodor Wertheim was an Austrian chemist born in Vienna.He was privatdozent in Vienna, and a professor at the University of Pest from 1853 to 1860. Afterwards he returned to Vienna, and beginning in 1861 worked at the University of Graz. In May, 1864 he moved back to Vienna, where he died soon...
changed to the University of Graz
University of Graz
The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....
and Than was offered the vacant position which he occupied until his retirement in 1908. Than married in 1872 and had five children. He published the first Hungarian chemistry journal (Magyar Chémiai Folyóirat) and was the president of the Hungarian Society of Natural Science from 1872 until his death. He was made baron in 1908, and died, suddenly, the same year.
Discovery of carbonyl sulfide
Than was aware of existence of the two compounds carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
(CO2) and carbon disulfide
Carbon disulfide
Carbon disulfide is a colorless volatile liquid with the formula CS2. The compound is used frequently as a building block in organic chemistry as well as an industrial and chemical non-polar solvent...
(CS2) and so he tried to synthesize COS. In his first experiments he reacted carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
(CO) with sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
. The reaction yielded some product which Than was unable to purify. The second approach to create the COS was by hydrolysis of thiocyanic acid
Thiocyanic acid
Thiocyanic acid is a chemical compound with the formula HSCN that exists as a mixture with the isomeric compound isothiocyanic acid . It is the sulfur analog of cyanic acid ....
. The reaction of potassium thiocyanate
Potassium thiocyanate
Potassium thiocyanate is the chemical compound with the molecular formula KSCN. It is an important salt of the thiocyanate anion, one of the pseudohalides...
and 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...
yielded a gas containing significant amount of byproducts (HCN, H2O
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
and CS2) and required purification.
- KSCN + 2 H2SO4 + H2O → KHSO4 + NH4HSO4 + COS
Than was able to characterize most of the properties of carbonyl sulfide and also tried to determine the chemical reactions of carbonyl sulfide. For these achievements, he received the Lieben Prize
Lieben Prize
The Ignaz Lieben Prize is an annual Austrian award for young scientists working in the fields of molecular biology, chemistry, or physics.The Ignaz Lieben Prize has been called the Austrian Nobel Prize. It is similar in intent but somewhat older than the Nobel Prize. The Austrian merchant Ignaz L...
in 1868.