Why was urea synthesis a critical discovery for biochemists?

1 Answer
Ernest Z.
Aug 9, 2015

Wöhler's synthesis of urea showed that a substance previously available only from biological sources could be synthesized in the laboratory without involving living organisms.

Explanation:

In 1828, the German chemist Friedrich Wöhler attempted to prepare ammonium cyanate, #"NH"_4"OCN"#, by treating silver cyanate with ammonium chloride.

#"AgOCN" + "NH"_4"Cl" → "NH"_4"OCN"+ "AgCl"#

Instead, the expected ammonium cyanate rearranged to urea.

#"AgOCN" + "NH"_4"Cl" → "NH"_2"CONH"_2 + "AgCl"#

For the first time an organic compound, urea, was produced from an inorganic reactant, ammonium cyanate.

Before this, chemists could obtain urea only from biological sources such as urine.

Related questions
See all questions in Brief History of Organic Chemistry
Impact of this question
4120 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License