Emil Fischer Facts
Emil Fischer Facts
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| Interesting Emil Fischer Facts: |
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| Fischer was born in Euskirchen, Germany. |
| His father was a businessman who forced him to work for a time in the family lumber business. |
| Fischer entered the University of Bonn in 1871 and switched to the University of Strasbourg in 1872. |
| He earned his PhD in 1874 with a thesis on fluorescein and orcinphthalein, and received an appointment to the university as an assistant professor. |
| That same year, he discovered the hydrazine base and demonstrated its relationship to hydrazobenzene. |
| In 1875 he discovered phenylhydrazine which would play a crucial role in his later work with sugars. |
| In 1879 he was appointed Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Erlangen. |
| There he studied the active principles of tea, coffee and cocoa and eventually synthesized caffeine, theobromine and related compounds. |
| In 1888 he married Agnes Gerlach with whom he had three sons. |
| His most famous work was on the chemistry of purines and sugars and in 1890 he successfully synthesized glucose, fructose and mannose from glycerol. |
| Between 1899 and 1908 Fischer greatly expanded our understanding of proteins and their amino acid components. |
| He was instrumental in the creation of barbiturates and in 1904 he helped launch the first barbiturate sedative, barbital. |
| He received many awards for his work including the Prussian Order of Merit, the Maximilian Order for Arts and Sciences and in 1902 he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on sugar and protein synthesis. |
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