William C. Zeise

Danish chemist

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July 15, 2026

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William C. Zeise was a Danish pharmacist who, in 1827, synthesized the first known organometallic compound, K[PtCl₃(C₂H₄)], commonly known as Zeise's salt. This compound featured an ethylene molecule attached to a platinum atom, a key characteristic of organometallic compounds. While Zeise could not determine its structure at the time, modern analysis confirms this bonding. His discovery was a significant early step in the field of organometallic chemistry, which later saw major advancements with the work of chemists like Edward C. Frankland, Ludwig Mond, Ernst Otto Fischer, and Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson.1

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organometallic compound
Historical developments
…prepared by the Danish pharmacist William C. Zeise in 1827 and is often referred to as Zeise’s salt. At that time, Zeise had no way of determining the structure of his new compound, but today it is known that the structure contains an ethylene molecule (H₂C=CH₂) attached through both carbon…
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…prepared by the Danish pharmacist William C. Zeise in 1827 and is often referred to as Zeise’s salt. At that time, Zeise had no way of determining the structure of his new compound, but today it is known that the structure contains an ethylene molecule (H₂C=CH₂) attached through both carbon…
Read More