Alexander William Williamson
Encyclopedia
Alexander William Williamson FRS (1 May 1824 – 6 May 1904) was an English chemist of Scottish descent. He is best known today for the Williamson ether synthesis
.
at Heidelberg
, and Justus von Liebig
at Gießen
, Williamson spent three years in Paris studying higher mathematics under Comte. In 1849, Williamson was appointed professor of practical chemistry
at University College, London, and from 1855 until his retirement in 1887 he also held the professorship of chemistry. He died on 6 May 1904, at Hindhead, Surrey
, England, and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery
in Surrey.
Williamson is credited for his research on the formation of ether
by the interaction of sulphuric acid and alcohol
, known as the Williamson ether synthesis. He regarded ether and alcohol as substances analogous to and built up on the same type as water, and he further introduced the water-type as a widely applicable basis for the classification of chemical compounds. The method of stating the rational constitution of bodies by comparison with water he believed capable of wide extension, and that one type, he thought, would suffice for all inorganic compounds, as well as for the best-known organic ones, the formula of water being taken in certain cases as doubled or tripled.
So far back as 1850 he also suggested a view which, in a modified form, is of fundamental importance in the modern theory of ion
ic dissociation, for, in a paper on the theory of the formation of ether, he urged that in an aggregate of molecule
s of any compound there is an exchange constantly going on between the elements which are contained in it; for instance, in hydrochloric acid
each atom
of hydrogen
does not remain quietly in juxtaposition with the atom of chlorine
with which it first united, but changes places with other atoms of hydrogen. A somewhat similar hypothesis was put forward by Rudolf Clausius
about the same time.
in 1862, of which he became a fellow in 1855, and which he served as foreign secretary from 1873 to 1889. He was twice president of the London Chemical Society, from 1863–1865 and from 1869-1871.
in Japan came to study in London under the guidance of Professor Williamson. They were Ito Shunsuke
(later Ito Hirobumi), Inoue Monta
(later Inoue Kaoru), and Yamao Yozo
. Endo Kinsuke
and Nomura Yakichi
(later Inoue Masaru). They all later made enormous contributions to the modernization of Japan.
Williamson ether synthesis
The Williamson ether synthesis is an organic reaction, forming an ether from an organohalide and an alcohol. This reaction was developed by Alexander Williamson in 1850. Typically it involves the reaction of an alkoxide ion with a primary alkyl halide via an SN2 reaction...
.
Biography
After working under Leopold GmelinLeopold Gmelin
Leopold Gmelin was a German chemist.Gmelin was the son of Johann Friedrich Gmelin. He studied medicine and chemistry at Göttingen, Tübingen and Vienna, and in 1813 began to lecture on chemistry at Heidelberg, where in 1814 he was appointed extraordinary-, and in 1817 ordinary-, professor of...
at 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...
, and Justus von Liebig
Justus von Liebig
Justus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
at Gießen
Gießen
Gießen, also spelt Giessen is a town in the German federal state of Hesse, capital of both the district of Gießen and the administrative region of Gießen...
, Williamson spent three years in Paris studying higher mathematics under Comte. In 1849, Williamson was appointed professor of practical chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
at University College, London, and from 1855 until his retirement in 1887 he also held the professorship of chemistry. He died on 6 May 1904, at Hindhead, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe.-History:...
in Surrey.
Research on ether
Ether
Ethers are a class of organic compounds that contain an ether group — an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups — of general formula R–O–R'. A typical example is the solvent and anesthetic diethyl ether, commonly referred to simply as "ether"...
by the interaction of sulphuric acid and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, known as the Williamson ether synthesis. He regarded ether and alcohol as substances analogous to and built up on the same type as water, and he further introduced the water-type as a widely applicable basis for the classification of chemical compounds. The method of stating the rational constitution of bodies by comparison with water he believed capable of wide extension, and that one type, he thought, would suffice for all inorganic compounds, as well as for the best-known organic ones, the formula of water being taken in certain cases as doubled or tripled.
So far back as 1850 he also suggested a view which, in a modified form, is of fundamental importance in the modern theory of ion
Ion
An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...
ic dissociation, for, in a paper on the theory of the formation of ether, he urged that in an aggregate of molecule
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...
s of any compound there is an exchange constantly going on between the elements which are contained in it; for instance, in hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
each atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
of hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
does not remain quietly in juxtaposition with the atom of chlorine
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
with which it first united, but changes places with other atoms of hydrogen. A somewhat similar hypothesis was put forward by Rudolf Clausius
Rudolf Clausius
Rudolf Julius Emanuel Clausius , was a German physicist and mathematician and is considered one of the central founders of the science of thermodynamics. By his restatement of Sadi Carnot's principle known as the Carnot cycle, he put the theory of heat on a truer and sounder basis...
about the same time.
Honours and awards
For his work on etherification, Williamson received a Royal medal from the Royal SocietyRoyal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
in 1862, of which he became a fellow in 1855, and which he served as foreign secretary from 1873 to 1889. He was twice president of the London Chemical Society, from 1863–1865 and from 1869-1871.
Williamson and the Chōshū Five
In 1863 five students from the Chōshū clanHan (Japan)
The or domain was the name of the estate belonging to a warrior in Japan after the 17th century. The fiefs of the daimyos of the samurai class of Japan during the Edo period were called han.-Edo period:...
in Japan came to study in London under the guidance of Professor Williamson. They were Ito Shunsuke
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
(later Ito Hirobumi), Inoue Monta
Inoue Kaoru
Count , GCMG was a member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesman in Japan during that period, he had a tremendous influence on the selection of the nation's leaders and formation of its policies.-Early years:...
(later Inoue Kaoru), and Yamao Yozo
Yamao Yozo
Viscount was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period who became an influential member of the Meiji era government of Japan.-Early life:Yamao was born in Akiu, a village in Chōshū domain , and had received the traditional training of a samurai at a private school in Edo...
. Endo Kinsuke
Endo Kinsuke
was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai family in Hagi, Chōshū Domain was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai family in Hagi, Chōshū Domain was a Japanese statesman in the early Meiji period.Endō was born to a samurai...
and Nomura Yakichi
Inoue Masaru
Viscount was the first `Director of Railways` in Japan and is known as the "father of the Japanese railways".He was born into the Chōshū clan at Hagi, Yamaguchi...
(later Inoue Masaru). They all later made enormous contributions to the modernization of Japan.