1794-1863

German chemist who made major advances in chemical crystallography, discovered a number of important chemical compounds, and first recognized catalysis. He discovered that chemicals with similar structure and activity may have similar crystalline forms (isomorphism) and that a chemical may have different crystalline forms (polymorphism). He discovered selenic acid, permanganic acid, and nitrobenzene and named benzene. Mitscherlich was the first to recognize what he called "contact action" (catalysis) and was first to recognize yeast as a microorganism.