Reception of Sachse

From WikidChem

Slide 18: Wagner stresses the importance of models in his quote: "It is not possible to write an abstract of this paper, especially since the author's explanations are hardly understandable without models." ( Actually Wagner was disparaging Sachse's theory, because it required models to make its point. Wagner lacked imagination. - JMM) Slide 19: Baeyer was a hot-shot German chemist in the most prestigious position available (he was well known for synthesizing Indigo). He had worked in Kekule's lab as a student.

He explains the planar shape of cyclo hexane, which he claims is proved by the existence of only one single isomer of hexahydrobenzoic acid. This is later disproved by the new structure shape found isolated in diamond. As was previously the case with others, he refused to consider a theory when he couldn't imagine an experiment to test it. He could only detect one isomer of hexahydrobenzoic acid because the different isomers converted into each other so rapidly.