1818-1892

German chemist who discovered several important chemical compounds, founded the aniline dye industry, and developed a method of determining molecular weights. His systematic studies of aniline resulted in its extensive use in dyeing textiles. He discovered formaldehyde and allyl alcohol and developed the Hofman reaction, the standard reaction for converting amides into amines. A major contribution to chemistry was the development of a method of determining molecular weights of liquid organic compounds by measuring vapor densities.