Ascanio Sobrero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ascanio Sobrero
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Ascanio Sobrero
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| Born | 12 October 1812 |
| Died | 26 May 1888 (aged 75) Turin, Italy
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| Nationality | Italian |
| Alma mater | University of Gießen |
| Known for | discovery of nitroglycerine |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Gießen, University of Turin |
| Doctoral advisor | Justus Liebig |
Ascanio Sobrero (born October 12, 1812 – died May 26, 1888) was an Italian chemist. He was born in Casale Monferrato. Sobrero is best known for discovering nitroglycerine. This was a very powerful and dangerous explosive.
Sobrero first studied medicine in Turin and Paris. Then, he focused on chemistry. He studied at the University of Gießen with a famous chemist named Justus Liebig. Sobrero earned his doctorate degree in 1832. In 1845, he became a professor at the University of Turin.
The Discovery of Nitroglycerine
In 1847, while doing his research, Sobrero made an important discovery. He created a new chemical compound. He first called it "pyroglycerine." Today, we know it as nitroglycerine.
This substance was an extremely powerful explosive. Sobrero quickly realized how dangerous it was. He warned people strongly against using it. He wrote about its dangers in his private letters and in a science journal. He said it was very hard to handle and extremely risky. In fact, Sobrero was so worried about what he had created that he kept it a secret for more than a year.
Connection to Alfred Nobel
One of Sobrero's fellow students was a young man named Alfred Nobel. Nobel later became a very famous inventor. Around 1860, Nobel started experimenting with nitroglycerine. He wanted to find a safe way to use this powerful material. It was indeed very difficult to handle safely.
In the 1860s, Nobel found ways to make nitroglycerine safer to use. He received many patents around the world for his inventions. These inventions used the explosive power of nitroglycerine. This work eventually led to Nobel's most famous invention: dynamite. He also invented other explosives like ballistite and gelignite. These inventions helped Nobel earn a huge fortune.
Alfred Nobel always gave credit to Sobrero. He honored Sobrero as the person who discovered nitroglycerine. However, Sobrero was upset by how the explosive was used. He even said he was almost ashamed of his discovery.
Images for kids
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Sulla preparazione dei legnami col bitume residuo della raffinazione del petrolio, 1868
See also
In Spanish: Ascanio Sobrero para niños
