Perovskite: Name Puzzle and German-Russian Odyssey of Discovery

Eugene A. Katz

doi:10.1002/hlca.202000061

Perovskite: Name Puzzle and German-Russian Odyssey of Discovery

Eugene A. Katz

The Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

Today the term ‘perovskite’ is used to designate the crystalline structure of a wide variety of ABX₃ ionic compounds. However, historically this name was used for a specific material, having been coined for a mineral, calcium titanate (CaTiO₃). This mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains, Russia. The first sample of the mineral was transferred from Saint Petersburg to Berlin in 1839 by the Russian mineralogist Alexander Kämmerer, who gave the sample for further investigation to the German mineralogist and crystallographer Gustav Rose. Rose determined its properties and chemical composition and named the mineral after the Russian politician and mineralogist Lev Perovski. The present essay describes the background of this discovery as well as the life stories of the personalities involved.

Original language	English
Article number	e2000061
Journal	Helvetica Chimica Acta
Volume	103
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/hlca.202000061
State	Published - 1 Jun 2020

Keywords

Alexander von Humboldt
August Alexander Kämmerer
Gustav Rose
Lev Perovski
history of science
organic–inorganic hybrid composites
perovskite

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Catalysis
Biochemistry
Drug Discovery
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/hlca.202000061

Cite this

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abstract = "Today the term {\textquoteleft}perovskite{\textquoteright} is used to designate the crystalline structure of a wide variety of ABX3 ionic compounds. However, historically this name was used for a specific material, having been coined for a mineral, calcium titanate (CaTiO3). This mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains, Russia. The first sample of the mineral was transferred from Saint Petersburg to Berlin in 1839 by the Russian mineralogist Alexander K{\"a}mmerer, who gave the sample for further investigation to the German mineralogist and crystallographer Gustav Rose. Rose determined its properties and chemical composition and named the mineral after the Russian politician and mineralogist Lev Perovski. The present essay describes the background of this discovery as well as the life stories of the personalities involved.",

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AB - Today the term ‘perovskite’ is used to designate the crystalline structure of a wide variety of ABX3 ionic compounds. However, historically this name was used for a specific material, having been coined for a mineral, calcium titanate (CaTiO3). This mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains, Russia. The first sample of the mineral was transferred from Saint Petersburg to Berlin in 1839 by the Russian mineralogist Alexander Kämmerer, who gave the sample for further investigation to the German mineralogist and crystallographer Gustav Rose. Rose determined its properties and chemical composition and named the mineral after the Russian politician and mineralogist Lev Perovski. The present essay describes the background of this discovery as well as the life stories of the personalities involved.

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KW - Gustav Rose

KW - Lev Perovski

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Perovskite: Name Puzzle and German-Russian Odyssey of Discovery

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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