Justus von Liebig: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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Liebig also popularized use of a counter-current water-cooling system for distillation, still referred to as a [[Liebig condenser]].<ref name=Brock/>{{rp|84}} Liebig himself attributed the vapor condensation device to German pharmacist [[Johann Friedrich August Gottling]], who had made improvements in 1794 to a design discovered independently by German chemist [[Christian Ehrenfried Weigel]] in 1771, by French scientist, [[P. J. Poisonnier]] in 1779, and by [[Finnish people|Finnish]] chemist [[Johan Gadolin]] in 1791.<ref name=Jensen>{{citation|author1-link=William B. Jensen |last=Jensen |first=William B. |title=The Origin of the Liebig Condenser |journal=[[J. Chem. Educ.]] |year=2006 |volume=2006 |issue=83 |page=23 |doi=10.1021/ed083p23 |bibcode = 2006JChEd..83...23J }}</ref>

Although it was not widely adopted until after Liebig's death, when safety legislation finally prohibited the use of [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] in making [[mirror]]s, Liebig proposed a process for [[silvering]] that eventually became the basis of modern mirror-making. In 1835, he reported that [[aldehydes]] reduce [[silver salts]] to metallic silver. After working with other scientists, [[Carl August von Steinheil]] approached Liebig in 1856 to see if he could develop a silvering technique capable of producing high-quality optical mirrors for use in [[reflecting telescopes]]. Liebig was able to develop blemish-free mirrors by adding copper to ammoniated silver nitrate and sugar. An attempt to commercialize the process and "drive out mercury mirror-making and its injurious influence on workers' health" was unsuccessful.<ref name=Brock/>{{rp|136–139}} Liebig's mirrors struggled commercially, due to poor glass, which produced an off-color, greenish-yellow reflection. Rudely, Liebig commented that Frenchwomen especially hated his mirrors, because Frenchwomen already looked yellow and sickly.

=== Organic chemistry ===