Abstract In 1771, the Swedish chemist Bergman clearly put forward the hypothesis that pyrolusite contained new elements, and initially named it manganese. In 1774, the Swedish mineralogist Gahn produced manganese for the first time, and the manganese hypothesis was verified. In the same year, the Swedish chemist Scheele characterized the properties of manganese elemental substance and confirmed that the term manganese was named for the element, and the concept of manganese was formally formed. After the rise of isotope chemistry, a total of 25 manganese isotopes have been discovered since 1923. Manganese is clearly defined as the general term for all atoms with a proton number of 25. The discovery of manganese enriched the early development of analytical chemistry before the formation of systematic analysis in the early 19th century. The evolution of its concept permeated the formation of systematic analysis and the rise of isotope chemistry. In the qualitative to quantitative research process, it reflected the progress of scientific ideas and methods.
WANG Qian, YUAN Zhen-Dong. From Pyrolusite to Manganese Isotopes: Discovery of Manganese and Its Conceptual Development[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2023, 44(5): 120-125.
