Kiliani nomenclature

Example 1 for the Kiliani notation from his textbook on analytical chemistry

Example 2 for the Kiliani notation from his textbook on analytical chemistry

The Kiliani nomenclature (also Kiliani notation ) is a type of notation for chemical reactions that was developed by Heinrich Kiliani (1855–1945) and used specifically for reactions in inorganic chemistry . Kiliani used it, for example, in his textbook on analytical chemistry, but other authors of textbooks on inorganic or analytical chemistry also used it at times around 1900.

The writing system is designed like a matrix , similar to writing for accounting for changes in oxidation numbers .

An example from the book shown opposite shows the reaction of mercury (II) chloride with potassium hydroxide :

O	H	K
	OH	K
Ed		Cl 2
HgO + H 2 O + 2 KCl

In modern notation this corresponds to:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {HgCl_{2}+2\ KOH\longrightarrow HgO+H_{2}O+2\ KCl} }$

A certain advantage of the Kiliani nomenclature is that it is immediately evident which reaction partners “come together”.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Wilhelm von Miller and Heinrich Kiliani: Short textbook of analytical chemistry . 3rd improved edition, 1897.
2. ^ Wilhelm Autenrieth : Qualitative chemical analysis. A guide for use in chemical laboratories . 2nd edition, Tübingen 1907.