Abstract
The early days of the development of the concept of catalysis are described with contributions from Berzelius, Faraday, Davy, Döbereiner, Dulong, Thénard, Phillips, Ostwald, Henry, Wilhelmy and Kuhlmann. Experiments relating to heterogeneous catalysis included oxidation reactions at platinum surfaces, hydrolysis of esters, formation of ethylene from alcohol, the first patent in 1831 for the manufacture of sulphuric acid and the development by Humphry Davy of the miner's lamp.
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Roberts, M. Birth of the catalytic concept (1800-1900). Catalysis Letters 67, 1–4 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016622806065
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016622806065