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François Stanislas Cloëz

1817 – 1883

French chemist

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About François Stanislas Cloëz

Lived 1817 – 1883 (aged 66). François Stanislas Cloëz was a French chemist and pharmacist.

François Stanislas Cloez (24 June 1817 – 12 October 1883) was a French chemist, who authored both as "F. S. Cloez" and "S. Cloez", and is known for his pioneering role in analytical chemistry during the 19th century. He was a founder and later president of the Chemistry Society of France.

In 1851, Cloez and Italian chemist Stanislao Cannizzaro, working on collaborative research, prepared cyanamide by the action of ammonia on cyanogen chloride in ethereal solution.

In the 1870s, he commenced the identification of the constituents of individual essential oils and their classification into groups according to their suitability for medicinal, industrial and perfumery purposes. He identified the major constituent of eucalyptus oil, which he called "eucalyptol" (now generally known as cineole). In honour of his work on eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus cloeziana (Gympie messmate) is named after him.

Cloez also played a role in developing a theory on the origin of life elsewhere in the Solar System.

In 1864, Cloez was the first scientist to examine a carbonaceous chondrite, the Orgueil meteorite, after it had fallen in France. Cloez said that its content "would seem to indicate the existence of organized substances in celestial bodies."

The Orgueil meteorite was subject to a hoax, when a sample of the meteorite was contaminated with a rush seed. The hoax was discovered in the 1960s when the meteorite was being examined for evidence of extraterrestrial biological material. There is no suggestion in literature that Cloez was party to this hoax.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
École supérieure de pharmacie de Paris
Positions held
Full professor
Employers
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, École polytechnique
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour; Jecker Prize

People in François Stanislas Cloëz's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped François Stanislas Cloëz's

Frequently asked questions

Who was François Stanislas Cloëz?

French chemist

When was François Stanislas Cloëz born?

François Stanislas Cloëz was born on 24 June 1817 in Ors.

When did François Stanislas Cloëz die?

François Stanislas Cloëz died on 12 October 1883 in Paris.

What was François Stanislas Cloëz's occupation?

François Stanislas Cloëz was a chemist and pharmacist.

What nationality was François Stanislas Cloëz?

François Stanislas Cloëz was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: François Stanislas Cloëz

· Wikidata: Q5423776

· DBpedia: François Stanislas Cloez

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). François Stanislas Cloëz. https://biography.guide/francois-stanislas-cloez/

MLA: "François Stanislas Cloëz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/francois-stanislas-cloez/.

Chicago: "François Stanislas Cloëz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/francois-stanislas-cloez/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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