Matthias Eduard Schweizer
Matthias Eduard Schweizer (born August 8, 1818 in Wila Canton of Zurich ; † October 23, 1860 in Zurich) was a Swiss chemist . He is known for the invention of Schweizer's reagent (1857), with which cellulose can be dissolved to produce copper silk . This made him one of the pioneers of synthetic textile fibers.
Schweizer received his doctorate in Zurich and was then assistant at the Polytechnic and until 1855 chemistry teacher at the Upper Industrial School in Zurich. He was also a private lecturer and, from 1852, an associate professor at the University of Zurich . He was a student (and assistant) of Carl Löwig .
He dealt mainly with the analysis of various minerals.
The copper silk (cupro) based on his invention was developed by Louis Henri Despaissis in France and Max Fremery in Germany. In 1881, William Crookes manufactured light bulb filaments based on copper cellulose.
literature
- Winfried Pötsch u. a. Lexicon of important chemists , Harri Deutsch 1989
- George B. Kauffman: Eduard Schweizer (1818-1860): The unknown chemist and his well-known reagent, J. Chem. Education 61, 1985, 1095-1097
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Swiss, Matthias Eduard |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss chemist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 8, 1818 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Wila |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 23, 1860 |
| Place of death | Zurich |