August Wilhelm von Hofmann

2026-01-21 09:30:54

August Wilhelm von Hofmann (Giessen, Germany, April 8, 1818 – May 5, 1892, Berlin, Germany) is a German organic chemist and teacher who discovered octryl formaldehyde, benzidine, isonitriles, and allyl alcohol. He synthesized ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine and tetraethylamine and compared them with ammonia. The first director of the Royal College of Chemistry (1845). Creating a chemical school in London and Berlin, aimed at experimental organic chemistry and its industrial application, Hoffmann recreated the style of laboratory training established by Liebig in Giessen. Named after him: Hoffmann voltmeter, Hoffmann rearrangement, Hoffmann-Martius rearrangement, Hoffmann elimination, Hoffmann-Loeffler reaction. Awarded significant awards in chemistry, including the Queen's Medal (1854), the Copley Medal (1875), and the Albert Medal (1881).