Isolation of citric acid
Aislamiento del ácido cítrico
- Date
- 1784 · confidence high
- Place
- Köping, Sweden
- Credited to
- Carl Wilhelm Scheele
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Swedish pharmacist Scheele crystallises citric acid from lemon juice, isolating it as a pure substance for the first time.
Scheele isolated many new organic and inorganic substances in the same decade (chlorine, glycerol, tartaric acid); citric acid was identified and purified by similar methods.
What it led to
- Chemistry of plant organic acids
- Industrial production of preservatives and acidic drinks
- Industrial fermentation of citric acid with fungi