What is Adolf von Baeyer known for?
I am best known for my synthesis of indigo, the blue dye that had previously been extracted from plants. In 1880, I achieved this by a condensation reaction of isatin with phosphorus trichloride, though the industrial process was later perfected by others. I also discovered phenolphthalein, the pH indicator, and formulated the Baeyer strain theory, which explains the stability of cyclic compounds based on bond-angle deviation. My work on hydroaromatic compounds, such as the reduction of benzene to cyclohexane, earned me the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1905. Additionally, I studied the constitution of benzene and the indigoid group, laying foundations for synthetic organic chemistry.
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