ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Chapter I 9 1816, Michel Chevreul found that soap prepared by the reaction of alkali with animal fat, could be separated into several pure organic compounds which he termed fatty acids NaoH Animal fat Soap glyerin HO Soap 3“ Fatty acids Thus for the first time one organic substance had been converted into others without the interventions of an outside vital force Department of Chemistry, Xiamen UniversityORGANIC CHEMISTRY Department of Chemistry, Xiamen University Chapter 1 1816, Michel Chevreul found that soap, prepared by the reaction of alkali with animal fat, could be separated into several pure organic compounds, which he termed “fatty acids”. NaOH Animal fat Soap + Glyerin H2O Soap H3O+ “Fatty acids” Thus, for the first time, one organic substance had been converted into others without the interventions of an outside vital force