Geuther started to work on inorganic topics, such as the electrolysis of
chromic acid and
sulfuric acid to determine the similarities of the two compounds. His research on the constitution of several cobalt
amine complexes, such as
hexamminecobalt(III) chloride, were later completed by
Alfred Werner earning Werner a
Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Some of his organic research was connected to
isomerism of chemical molecules. The experimental work on the
hydrolysis of
1,1-dichloroethane, which yielded
glycol, and the chlorination of
acetaldehyde giving
1,2-dichloroethane provided a good starting point for the development of the theory of the constitution of compounds with the same chemical formula, but different bond structure. (for R =
methyl and R' =
ethyl) Geuther is best known for his discovery of
ethyl acetoacetate. Although he discovered the compound in 1863, it took him two years to publish results in a peer reviewed journal. The experimental work of his and others yielded puzzling results and induced debates on the nature of ethyl acetoacetate. The structure proposed by
Edward Frankland and Duppa showed a
keto group (C=O), while Geuther was certain about presence of an acidic OH group in the molecule. It was long after the death of Geuther when
Ludwig Knorr, Geuthers successor at the
University of Jena, solved the riddle proving both sides right: the true nature of ethyl acetoacetate was a
tautomeric equilibrium between the both suggested structures. The
Keto-enol tautomerism strongly depends on the solvent used for the experiments. Geuther was planning to build a new chemical laboratory at University of Jena, but died well before the construction had started. Some of his unfinished work was completed by his successor in Jena
Ludwig Knorr. ==References==