PHILIPPE HENRI ARNOUT DE CLERMONT Organophosphates, ethers, phenols, and other organic subjects

Abstract

Philippe de Clermont (1831–1921) was a French organic chemist, known particularly for his synthesis of tetraethyl pyrophosphate, the first organophosphate cholinesterase inhibitor. This achievement was part of an extensive research about phosphoric ethers using Wurtz’s procedure. This type of synthesis was found to be also appropriate for the preparation of carbonic ethers. Another important consequence was that the reaction between ammonia and an ether composed of a mineral oxacid resulted in the formation of an alcoholic alkali. Clermont also carried extensive research about octene and its derivatives that culminated in the synthesis of a large number of new derivatives, among them octylene oxide acetate, caprylene halides and alcohol, octyl glycol, octyl glycol chlorhydrin, etc. Clermont determined the composition of persulfonic acid, synthesized sulfophenylurea, and a variety of thioureas. He also studied a variety of reactions of pyruvic acid, the composition of pyrogallic acid, synthesized purpurogallin, and a variety of metallic sulfides, in particularly the flesh and green sulfides of manganese and the decomposition reaction of ammonium chloride with metallic sulfides. Likewise, he showed that the production of aurin required the presence of nascent CO2