Which chemists promoted a reform of chemical theory during the 1850s?

During the 1850s, a movement emerged among younger chemists to reform theoretical chemistry by aligning it with the ideas of Amedeo Avogadro. This effort sought to resolve the chaotic state of competing atomic weight systems and chemical notation by establishing a consistent, unified theoretical structure.12

Key chemists who advocated for this reform during the 1850s included:

• Alexander Williamson (England)1
• Charles Gerhardt (France)1
• Adolphe Wurtz (France)1
• August Kekulé (Germany)1

Stanislao Cannizzaro played a critical role in this movement by demonstrating how a return to Avogadro’s hypotheses could provide a robust system for determining atomic weights and formulas. His work, along with the efforts of organizers like Kekulé, Wurtz, and Carl Weltzien, culminated in the 1860 Karlsruhe Congress, which served as a turning point for the adoption of these reformed chemical principles.12