Alexander Butlerov (1828-1886) is known as the creator of the theory of chemical structure. He was born in Chistopol, which is near Kazan. When he was just sixteen Butlerov began studies in the physics and mathematics department at the University of Kazan. Immediately after graduating he began teaching chemistry at the university.
Butlerov's travels to Paris to work with other chemists and participating in the Paris Chemical Society inspired him to do more lab work when he returned to Russia. In his experiments he concluded that chemical structures in theoretical chemistry could not be abstract, but needed to be based on the actual structures of different molecules. Butlerov took into account all aspects of chemical reactions, not just the products he wanted but any products that may have formed. In addition, he moved away from theoretical formulas and moved on to using empirical formulas. This was Butlerov's basic concept of chemical structure: "Assuming that each chemical atom is characterized by a specific and limited quantity of chemical force [affinity], with which it participates in the formation of a substance, I would call this chemical bond or [this] capacity for the mutual union of atoms into a complex substance chemical structure”.
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