Dmitri Mendeleev
Russian chemist who created the periodic table of elements.
Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was a Russian chemist best known for formulating the periodic law and devising an early version of the periodic table of elements. He applied this law not only to revise the accepted properties of certain known elements—such as the atomic weight and valence of uranium—but also to forecast the characteristics of three elements that had not yet been discovered: gallium, germanium, and scandium. The synthetic element mendelevium was later named in his honor. Born in the Siberian village of Verkhnie Aremzyani near Tobolsk, Mendeleev was the youngest of a large family; sources disagree on the exact number of siblings, though his brother Pavel noted that only fourteen survived to be baptized. His father, Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev, was a school principal and teacher, while his mother, Maria Dmitrievna Mendeleeva, came from a prominent merchant family. After his father lost his sight and teaching post, and his mother’s glass factory was destroyed by fire, the family faced financial hardship. At age thirteen, Mendeleev attended the Tobolsk Gymnasium. In 1849, his mother took him to Moscow in hopes of enrolling him at Moscow University, but he was rejected. They then moved to Saint Petersburg, where he entered the Main Pedagogical Institute in 1850. After graduating, he contracted tuberculosis and relocated to the Crimean Peninsula, working as a science master. By 1857, he had recovered and returned to Saint Petersburg. He later studied in Heidelberg, focusing on capillarity and spectroscopy, and published a textbook on organic chemistry that earned the Demidov Prize. He married Feozva Nikitichna Leshcheva in 1862. Mendeleev became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Technological Institute and Saint Petersburg State University, earning his doctorate in 1865 for a dissertation on water-alcohol combinations. In 1867, he took the chair of inorganic chemistry at the university, transforming Saint Petersburg into a major center for chemical research. While writing his landmark textbook *Principles of Chemistry*, he noticed patterns among the elements and claimed to have envisioned the complete arrangement of the periodic table in a dream.
- field
- Chemistry
- nationality
- Russian
- known_for
- Formulating the periodic law and creating a version of the periodic table of elements
Lore & Background
He was the youngest of 17 siblings, though the exact number differs among sources. After his father became blind and lost his teaching position, and his mother's glass factory was destroyed by fire, Mendeleev attended the Gymnasium in Tobolsk at age 13. Following his mother's failed attempt to enroll him at Moscow University, they moved to Saint Petersburg, where he entered the Main Pedagogical Institute in 1850. After graduating, he contracted tuberculosis and relocated to the Crimean Peninsula, working as a science master at a gymnasium in Simferopol before returning to Saint Petersburg in 1857 with restored health. He later studied capillarity and spectroscopy in Heidelberg, and in 1861 published a textbook on organic chemistry that earned him the Demidov Prize. He became a professor at the Saint Petersburg Technological Institute and Saint Petersburg State University in 1864 and 1865 respectively, earning his doctorate for a dissertation on water-alcohol combinations. By 1871, he had transformed Saint Petersburg into an internationally recognized center for chemistry research. Mendeleev is best known for formulating the periodic law and creating a version of the periodic table of elements. He used this law to correct the accepted properties of known elements, such as uranium's valence and atomic weight, and to predict the properties of three undiscovered elements: germanium, gallium, and scandium. The synthetic element mendelevium is named in his honor.
Reader's Guide
Mendeleev’s formulation of the periodic law allowed him to systematically correct the accepted properties of known elements, such as adjusting the valence and atomic weight of uranium. He also used the law to predict the existence and characteristics of three undiscovered elements—germanium, gallium, and scandium—which were later found to match his forecasts. His work built upon earlier attempts at classification, including John Newlands’ Law of Octaves and Lothar Meyer’s valence-based arrangement, but Mendeleev uniquely prioritized chemical properties and left gaps for unknown elements. The periodic table he published in 1871 became the definitive framework for organizing all chemical elements. In recognition of his contributions, the synthetic element mendelevium was named after him. His legacy is foundational to modern chemistry, providing the core structure for understanding elemental behavior, predicting new discoveries, and teaching inorganic chemistry. His textbook *Principles of Chemistry* became a standard reference, and his tenure at Saint Petersburg University helped establish the institution as a global center for chemical research.
Did You Know?
- Mendeleev predicted the properties of three undiscovered elements: germanium, gallium, and scandium.
- The synthetic element mendelevium is named in his honor.
- He claimed to have envisioned the complete arrangement of the periodic table in a dream.
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