Born Jan. 7, 1794, in Neuende; died Aug. 28, 1863, in Berlin. German chemist. Professor at the University of Berlin from 1822.
Mitscherlich discovered the phenomena of isomorphism (1819) and dimorphism (1821). In 1833 he obtained benzene in pure form by heating benzoic acid with an excess of lime and was the first to prepare nitrobenzene and azobenzene, as well as certain benzene sulfonic acids. Also in 1833, he suggested that sulfuric acid acts as a catalyst in the esterification process and proposed the designation of similar reactions by the term “contact.” Mitscherlich became a corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1829.