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Bohuslav Brauner
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<h2 id="career">Career</h2> <p>Brauner was a student of <a href="/facts/Robert_Bunsen/HYqSh9tH">Robert Bunsen</a> at the <a href="/facts/University_of_Heidelberg/4IaFa3jD">University of Heidelberg</a> and later of <a href="/facts/Henry_Enfield_Roscoe/sj0mfCbv">Henry Roscoe</a> at the <a href="/facts/University_of_Manchester/PwJzEj8h">University of Manchester</a>. Brauner became lecturer for chemistry at the Charles University of Prague in 1883, assistant professor as of 1890, and full professor as of 1897.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> During the course of his career, he corresponded frequently with <a href="/facts/Dmitri_Mendeleev/xdouRrx8">Dmitri Mendeleev</a>, and they influenced each other as models for <a href="/facts/Periodicity_of_the_elements/umdGIfUb">periodicity of the elements</a> were developed.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>Brauner retired from the Charles University of Prague in 1925 and died of <a href="/facts/Pneumonia/Jw0KquTA">pneumonia</a> in 1935.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="scientific-contributions">Scientific contributions</h2> <p>During Brauner's time with Roscoe at the University of Manchester, he became interested in the chemistry of the rare earth elements. A theme of his investigations was the determination of their relative positions in the periodic table. One method he used to separate these elements was <a href="/facts/Halogenation/vYrGVWcJ">fluorination</a>, yielding compounds that could be purified.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p><p>As part of his investigations on the chemistry of the <a href="/facts/Lanthanides/rt3XIRCl">lanthanides</a>, Brauner proposed in 1902 the existence of an element that would be located between <a href="/facts/Neodymium/GzDkTIoI">neodymium</a> and <a href="/facts/Samarium/09K3kl93">samarium</a> in the <a href="/facts/Periodic_table/umdGIfUb">periodic table</a>. <a href="/facts/Henry_Moseley/W6Kd359o">Henry Moseley</a> experimentally confirmed Brauner's prediction in 1914, identifying the gap between their nuclear charges. The missing element was eventually synthesized in 1945 and named <a href="/facts/Promethium/8xvCz9Rg">promethium</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p><p>Brauner's investigations into the rare earth elements and their atomic weights depended on purity of the compounds under evaluation. This caused ambiguity at times. He proposed that the element <a href="/facts/Tellurium/v7QvfIvS">tellurium</a> had an atomic weight of 125 <a href="/facts/Atomic_mass_units/IMATU3vf">atomic mass units</a>, although he acknowledged that his evaluation of tellurium could be based on mixtures of metals. Later, Brauner obtained samples of the substance referred to as <a href="/facts/Didymium/qrefFWn8">didymium</a>. In 1882, he was able to use <a href="/facts/Spectroscopy/mj71FuNK">spectroscopy</a> to observe two groups of absorption bands, one blue (A = 449–443) and one yellow (A = 590–568). He concluded that didymium was actually a mixture of two rare earth elements. However, it was <a href="/facts/Carl_Auer_von_Welsbach/b1654JpC">Carl Auer von Welsbach</a> who recognized that didymium was actually a mixture of the two rare earth elements <a href="/facts/Praseodymium/2lnRJ9dH">praseodymium</a> and <a href="/facts/Neodymium/GzDkTIoI">neodymium</a>, the discovery occurring in 1885. Von Welsbach's discovery was initially a source of consternation to Brauner.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> </p><p>Brauner authored the chapter on rare earth elements in Mendeleev's textbook "Principles of Chemistry". He also wrote the portion on atomic weights in "Handbuch der Anorganischen Chemie", which was a textbook authored principally by <a href="/facts/Richard_Abegg/fa9mhL56">Richard Abegg</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="honors">Honors</h2> <p>Brauner received honorary memberships to the <a href="/facts/Chemical_Society_of_London/hsYUGrXH">Chemical Society of London</a>, the <a href="/facts/American_Chemical_Society/Alf3uhaF">American Chemical Society</a> and the <a href="/facts/Societe_Chimique_de_France/73j5fsW7">Societe Chimique de France</a>, and an <a href="/facts/Honorary_degree/yVVgQ6Wt">honorary</a> <a href="/facts/Doctor_of_Science/RCVkMNBH">Doctor of Science</a> degree from the <a href="/facts/University_of_Manchester/PwJzEj8h">University of Manchester</a>. The <a href="/facts/Recueil_des_Travaux_Chimiques_des_Pays-Bas/VScD5bm4">Recueil des Travaux Chimiques des Pays-Bas</a> honored him in 1925 as did the <a href="/facts/Collection_of_Czechoslovak_Chemical_Communications/ol537uUk">Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications</a> in 1930.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bohuslav Brauner. <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Marshall, James L.; Marshall, Virginia R. (2016). "Rediscovery of the elements: The Rare Earths–The Last Member" (PDF). The Hexagon: 4–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2019. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211127115101/https://chemistry.unt.edu/sites/default/files/users/owj0001/rare%20earths%20III_0.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20211127115101/https://chemistry.unt.edu/sites/default/files/users/owj0001/rare%20earths%20III_0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Cantrill, Stuart (November 21, 2018). "Promethium unbound". Chemical connections. Retrieved 30 December 2019. <a href="https://stuartcantrill.com/2018/11/21/promethium-unbound/" target="_blank">https://stuartcantrill.com/2018/11/21/promethium-unbound/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Weeks, Mary Elvira (1956). The discovery of the elements (6th ed.). Easton, PA: Journal of Chemical Education. <a href="https://archive.org/details/discoveryoftheel002045mbp" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/discoveryoftheel002045mbp</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Bohuslav Brauner's Palmares ar CyclingRanking". CyclingRanking.com. <a href="https://www.cyclingranking.com/rider/95473/b-brauner" target="_blank">https://www.cyclingranking.com/rider/95473/b-brauner</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Bohuslav Brauner (1855–1935)". Nature. 175 (4462): 796. May 7, 1955. Bibcode:1955Natur.175U.796.. doi:10.1038/175796e0. S2CID 4269832. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2F175796e0" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1038%2F175796e0</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>H., J. (March 30, 1935). "Prof. Bohuslav Brauner, Obituary" (PDF). Nature. 135 (3413): 497–498. doi:10.1038/135497a0. Retrieved 8 February 2020. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>H., J. (March 30, 1935). "Prof. Bohuslav Brauner, Obituary" (PDF). Nature. 135 (3413): 497–498. doi:10.1038/135497a0. Retrieved 8 February 2020. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>H., J. (March 30, 1935). "Prof. Bohuslav Brauner, Obituary" (PDF). Nature. 135 (3413): 497–498. doi:10.1038/135497a0. Retrieved 8 February 2020. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Marshall, James L.; Marshall, Virginia R. (2016). "Rediscovery of the elements: The Rare Earths–The Last Member" (PDF). The Hexagon: 4–9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2019. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211127115101/https://chemistry.unt.edu/sites/default/files/users/owj0001/rare%20earths%20III_0.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20211127115101/https://chemistry.unt.edu/sites/default/files/users/owj0001/rare%20earths%20III_0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Marshall, James L.; Marshall, Virginia R. (2015). "Rediscovery of the elements: The Rare Earths–The Confusing Years" (PDF). The Hexagon: 72–77. Retrieved 30 December 2019. <a href="http://www.chem.unt.edu/~jimm/REDISCOVERY%207-09-2018/Hexagon%20Articles/rare%20earths%20II.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.chem.unt.edu/~jimm/REDISCOVERY%207-09-2018/Hexagon%20Articles/rare%20earths%20II.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Laing, Michael (2005). "A Revised Periodic Table: With the Lanthanides Repositioned". Foundations of Chemistry. 7 (3): 203–233. doi:10.1007/s10698-004-5959-9. S2CID 97792365. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>van der Krogt, Peter. "Elementymology & Elements Multidict: promethium". Retrieved 2008-08-20. <a href="http://elements.vanderkrogt.net/element.php?sym=Pm" target="_blank">http://elements.vanderkrogt.net/element.php?sym=Pm</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Fontani, Marco; Costa, Mariagrazia; Orna, Mary Virginia (2015). The Lost Elements: The Periodic Table's Shadow Side. Oxford University Press. pp. 39–40, 175, 241. ISBN 978-0-19-938334-4. <a href="978-0-19-938334-4" target="_blank">978-0-19-938334-4</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Soukup, R. W. "Die wissenschaftliche Welt des Carl Auer von Welsbach: seine bedeutendsten Lehrer, Kollegen und Mitarbeiter" (PDF). Forum Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-02-10. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053902/http://www.univie.ac.at/pluslucis/FBW0/FBW2008/Material/Soukup/Soukup.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053902/http://www.univie.ac.at/pluslucis/FBW0/FBW2008/Material/Soukup/Soukup.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Fontani, Marco; Costa, Mariagrazia; Orna, Mary Virginia (2015). The Lost Elements: The Periodic Table's Shadow Side. Oxford University Press. pp. 39–40, 175, 241. ISBN 978-0-19-938334-4. <a href="978-0-19-938334-4" target="_blank">978-0-19-938334-4</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>H., J. (March 30, 1935). "Prof. Bohuslav Brauner, Obituary" (PDF). Nature. 135 (3413): 497–498. doi:10.1038/135497a0. Retrieved 8 February 2020. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>H., J. (March 30, 1935). "Prof. Bohuslav Brauner, Obituary" (PDF). Nature. 135 (3413): 497–498. doi:10.1038/135497a0. Retrieved 8 February 2020. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.nature.com/articles/135497a0.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>