Tetravalence of carbon and carbon chains
Tetravalencia del carbono y encadenamiento carbono-carbono
- Date
- 1858 · confidence high
- Place
- Heidelberg, Baden
- Credited to
- August Kekulé; independently Archibald Scott Couper (Paris)
- People
- 👤 August Kekulé1829–1896
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Carbon is tetravalent and its atoms can bond to one another forming chains, which explains the variety of organic compounds. The foundation of structural theory in organic chemistry.
Couper reached the same conclusions in 1858; his publication was delayed and Kekulé received the credit. Butlerov coined 'chemical structure' in 1861.
What it led to
- Structural formulae
- Rational organic synthesis
- Synthetic dye industry
Built on
- Radical theory and type theory1837-1853
- Frankland's valence
Made possible
- Ring structure of benzene1865
- Organic free radicals (Gomberg)1900
- design of organic molecules
- rationally designed aniline dyes