F.S. Cloez
Encyclopedia
F.S. Cloez was a French
chemist
, who also authored as "S. Cloez", and is known for his pioneering role in analytical chemistry during the 19th century.
In 1851, Cloez and Italian chemist Stanislao Cannizzaro
, working on collaborative research, prepared cyanamide
by the action of ammonia
on cyanogen chloride
in ethereal solution.
In the 1870s, he commenced the identification of the constituents of individual essential oil
s and their classification into groups according to their suitability for medicinal, industrial
and perfumery purposes. He identified the major constituent of eucalyptus oil
, which he called "eucalyptol"
(now generally known as cineole). In honour of his work on eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus cloeziana
(Gympie messmate) is named after him.
Cloez also played a role in developing a theory on the origin of life elsewhere in the Solar system
.
In 1864, Cloez was the first scientist to examine a carbonaceous chondrite
, the Orgueil meteorite, after it had fallen in France. Cloez said that its content "would seem to indicate the existence of organized substances in celestial bodies."
The Orgueil meteorite was subject to a hoax, when a sample of the meteorite was contaminated with a rush
seed. The hoax was discovered in the 1960s when the meteorite was being examined for evidence of extraterrestrial biological material. There is no suggestion in literature that Cloez was party to this hoax.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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 also authored as "S. Cloez", and is known for his pioneering role in analytical chemistry during the 19th century.
In 1851, Cloez and Italian chemist Stanislao Cannizzaro
Stanislao Cannizzaro
Stanislao Cannizzaro, FRS was an Italian chemist. He is remembered today largely for the Cannizzaro reaction and for his influential role in the atomic-weight deliberations of the Karlsruhe Congress in 1860.-Biography:...
, working on collaborative research, prepared cyanamide
Cyanamide
Cyanamide is an organic compound with the formula CN2H2. This white solid is widely used in agriculture and the production of pharmaceuticals and other organic compounds. It is also used as an alcohol deterrent drug in Canada, Europe and Japan. The molecule features a nitrile group attached to an...
by the action of ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
on cyanogen chloride
Cyanogen chloride
Cyanogen chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula NCCl. This linear, triatomic pseudohalogen is an easily condensed colorless gas. More commonly encountered in the laboratory is the related compound cyanogen bromide, a room-temperature solid that is widely used in biochemical analysis and...
in ethereal solution.
In the 1870s, he commenced the identification of the constituents of individual essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
s and their classification into groups according to their suitability for medicinal, industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
and perfumery purposes. He identified the major constituent of eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses...
, which he called "eucalyptol"
Eucalyptol
Eucalyptol is a natural organic compound which is a colorless liquid. It is a cyclic ether and a monoterpenoid.Eucalyptol is also known by a variety of synonyms: 1,8-cineol, 1,8-cineole, limonene oxide, cajeputol, 1,8-epoxy-p-menthane, 1,8-oxido-p-menthane, eucalyptol, eucalyptole,...
(now generally known as cineole). In honour of his work on eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus cloeziana
Eucalyptus cloeziana
Eucalyptus cloeziana, Gympie Messmate, is a small to tall tree with rough bark on most or the whole of the trunk and larger branches. The bark is soft, flaky, tessellated, light brown or yellow-brown, where smooth, greyish white or yellowish above....
(Gympie messmate) is named after him.
Cloez also played a role in developing a theory on the origin of life elsewhere in the Solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
.
In 1864, Cloez was the first scientist to examine a carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
, the Orgueil meteorite, after it had fallen in France. Cloez said that its content "would seem to indicate the existence of organized substances in celestial bodies."
The Orgueil meteorite was subject to a hoax, when a sample of the meteorite was contaminated with a rush
Juncaceae
Juncaceae, the rush family, are a monocotyledonous family of flowering plants. There are eight genera and about 400 species. Members of the Juncaceae are slow-growing, rhizomatous, herbaceous plants, and they may superficially resemble grasses. They often grow on infertile soils in a wide range...
seed. The hoax was discovered in the 1960s when the meteorite was being examined for evidence of extraterrestrial biological material. There is no suggestion in literature that Cloez was party to this hoax.