As Wöhler mixed potassium cyanate with ammonia, he expected to obtain ammonium cyanate. However, to his surprise, he obtained a white crystalline solid that was identical to urea. This was a pivotal moment in the history of organic chemistry, as it disproved the long-held notion of vitalism – the idea that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms.
As Wöhler mixed potassium cyanate with ammonia, he expected to obtain ammonium cyanate. However, to his surprise, he obtained a white crystalline solid that was identical to urea. This was a pivotal moment in the history of organic chemistry, as it disproved the long-held notion of vitalism – the idea that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms.