Radical theory

Not to be confused with Rules for Radicals.

Radical theory is an obsolete scientific theory in chemistry describing the structure of organic compounds. The theory was pioneered by Justus von Liebig, Friedrich Wöhler and Auguste Laurent around 1830 and is not related to the modern understanding of free radicals.[1][2] In this theory, organic compounds were thought to exist as combinations of radicals that could be exchanged in chemical reactions just as chemical elements could be interchanged in inorganic compounds.

  1. ^ The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science John L. Heilbron Ed. 2003
  2. ^ Organic chemistry in the nineteenth century, Rochelle Forrester 2006 Link