Lev Aleksandrovich Chugaev (16 October 1873 – 26 September 1922) was a Russian chemist. At the height of his career, he was professor of chemistry at the University of Petersburg, being the successor to

Dmitri Mendeleev Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (sometimes transliterated as Mendeleyev or Mendeleef) ( ; russian: links=no, Дмитрий Иванович Менделеев, tr. , ; 8 February O.S. 27 January">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="no ...

. He was active in the fields of

inorganic chemistry Inorganic chemistry deals with synthesis and behavior of inorganic and organometallic compounds. This field covers chemical compounds that are not carbon-based, which are the subjects of organic chemistry. The distinction between the two disc ...

, especially

platinum group The platinum-group metals (abbreviated as the PGMs; alternatively, the platinoids, platinides, platidises, platinum group, platinum metals, platinum family or platinum-group elements (PGEs)) are six noble, precious metallic elements clustered to ...

complexes, as well as organic chemistry. He is also known as Leo Aleksandrovich Tschugaeff or Tschugaev.

Contributions to coordination chemistry

Chugaev discovered that

dimethylglyoxime Dimethylglyoxime is a chemical compound described by the formula CH3C(NOH)C(NOH)CH3. Its abbreviation is dmgH2 for neutral form, and dmgH− for anionic form, where H stands for hydrogen. This colourless solid is the di oxime derivative of the dik ...

forms a scarlet solid upon reaction with nickel(II) ions. This reaction was one of the first "spot tests" for a metal ion. An adherent to the theories of

Alfred Werner Alfred Werner (12 December 1866 – 15 November 1919) was a Swiss chemist who was a student at ETH Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for proposing the octahedral configuration o ...

, Chugaev made several contributions to the chemistry of platinum. The salt t(NH₃)₅Cll₃ containing the chloropentammineplatinum(IV) ion, is called "Chugaev's salt". Other complexes prepared in his laboratory include SEt₂)₄">Diethyl_sulfide.html" ;"title="t(Diethyl sulfide">SEt₂)₄PtCl₄], [Pt(NH₃)₅OH]Cl₃, [Os(thiourea, SC(NH₂)₂)₆]Cl₃^.H₂O. Chugaev also studied complexes of hydrazine. One of his complexes, since also called Chugaev's salt, was the product of the reaction of platinum(II) salts with

methyl isocyanide Methyl isocyanide or isocyanomethane is an organic compound and a member of the isocyanide family. This colorless liquid is isomeric to methyl cyanide ( acetonitrile), but its reactivity is very different. In contrast to the faintly sweet, etherea ...

and hydrazine. After many decades, this compound was shown to be a carbene complex, probably the first metal carbene complex ever reported.

Contributions to organic chemistry

He discovered the Chugaev reaction during his work on

thujene Thujene (or α-thujene) is a natural organic compound classified as a monoterpene. It is found in the essential oils of a variety of plants, and contributes pungency to the flavor of some herbs such as Summer savory.''PDR for Herbal Medicines' ...

and

terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...

References

1873 births 1922 deaths Scientists from Moscow Deaths from typhoid fever Chemists from the Russian Empire Inventors from the Russian Empire Lenin Prize winners Russian biochemists Academic staff of Saint Petersburg State University {{Russia-chemist-stub