Heinrich Debus facts for kids
Heinrich Debus (born July 13, 1824 – died December 9, 1915) was an important German chemist. He made discoveries that are still used in chemistry today.
Becoming a Chemist
Heinrich Debus started his studies in 1838 at a trade school in Kassel, Germany. There, he was taught by a famous chemist named Robert Wilhelm Bunsen. Bunsen is known for inventing the Bunsen burner!
From 1845 to 1848, Debus studied chemistry at the University of Marburg. He also worked as Bunsen's assistant starting in 1847. In 1848, he earned his PhD (doctorate) by studying a red dye. After Bunsen moved to another university, Debus took over his position as a professor at Marburg in 1851.
Teaching in England
Later in 1851, Debus moved to England. He became a chemistry teacher at Queenwood College. From 1868 to 1870, he was the Science Master at Clifton College in Bristol.
He then taught at Guy's Hospital in London starting in 1870. In 1873, he became a founding Professor of Chemistry at the new Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He stayed there until he retired and moved back to Germany.
Important Discoveries
In 1858, Heinrich Debus was the first to create a special chemical compound called imidazole. He made it by mixing three simple chemicals: glyoxal, ammonia, and formaldehyde.
This way of making imidazole is now known as the Debus synthesis. Another chemist, Bronisław Leonard Radziszewski, often wrote about this reaction. Because of this, it is sometimes also called the "Radziszewski reaction."
In 1861, Debus was recognized for his scientific work and was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists in the United Kingdom.
