Martin Heinrich Klaproth

Martin Heinrich Klaproth
Engraving by Ambroise Tardieu
Born(1743-12-01)1 December 1743
Wernigerode, Kingdom of Prussia
Died1 January 1817(1817-01-01) (aged 73)
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
NationalityGerman
CitizenshipWernigerode
Known forDiscovery of uranium, zirconium, and other elements
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry

Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1 December 1743 – 1 January 1817) was a German chemist.[1] He trained and worked for much of his life as an apothecary, moving in later life to the university. His shop became the second-largest apothecary in Berlin, and the most productive artisanal chemical research center in Europe.[2]

Klaproth was a major systematizer of analytical chemistry,[3] and an independent inventor of gravimetric analysis.[4][5] His attention to detail and refusal to ignore discrepancies in results led to improvements in the use of apparatus. He was a major figure in understanding the composition of minerals and characterizing the elements.[4] Klaproth discovered uranium (1789)[6] and zirconium (1789). He was also involved in the discovery or co-discovery of titanium (1795), strontium (1793), cerium (1803), and chromium (1797) and confirmed the previous discoveries of tellurium (1798) and beryllium (1798).[7][8]

Klaproth was a member and director of the Berlin Academy of Sciences.[2] He was recognized internationally as a member of the Royal Society in London,[9] the Institut de France, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference NNDB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Klein was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Rocchietta, S (February 1967). "[The pharmacist Martin Klaproth (1743–1817), pioneer of modern analytical chemistry, discoverer of uranium. On the 150th anniversary of his death]". Minerva Med. (in Italian). 58 (13): 229. PMID 5336711.
  4. ^ a b Marshall, James L. Marshall; Marshall, Virginia R. Marshall (2008). "Rediscovery of the elements: Klaproth" (PDF). The Hexagon: 20–24. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  5. ^ Garrison, Ervan (2003). "Instrumental Analytical Techniques for Archaeological Geology". Techniques in Archaeological Geology. Natural Science in Archaeology. Springer. pp. 207–246. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-05163-4_7. ISBN 978-3-662-05163-4.
  6. ^ Dahlkamp, Franz J. (1991). Uranium Ore Deposits. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 5. ISBN 978-3-662-02892-6. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Record was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Robison, Roger F. (2015). Mining and selling radium and uranium. Springer. pp. 59–60. ISBN 9783319118291. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Thomson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Today was invoked but never defined (see the help page).