Wöhlerszintézis
Wöhlerszintézis is the chemical synthesis of urea from ammonium cyanate. This reaction, discovered by Friedrich Wöhler in 1828, was a landmark event in organic chemistry. Prior to this synthesis, it was widely believed that organic compounds could only be produced by living organisms, a theory known as vitalism. Wöhler's successful synthesis demonstrated that an organic compound could be prepared from inorganic starting materials in a laboratory, challenging the prevailing vitalist view.
The synthesis involves heating ammonium cyanate, which isomerizes to urea. The reaction can be represented by