Theodor von Grotthuss (1785 - 1822)

Lux lucet in tenebris quamvis nihil obscurius luce

Statue of Theodor von Grotthuss in Žeimelis town square (sculptor K. Balčiūnas). 

This meeting is a continuation of a series of events to commemorate the work and life of Theodor von Grotthuss such as the ISE-sponsored "Theodor Grotthuss Electrochemistry Conference" celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the First Theory of Electrolysis held in Vilnius on June 5 - 8, 2005. The 2025 edition seeks to connect and highlight the importance of his seminal work to the most recent contributions in the ever important fields of electrolysis, proton transport, and photochemistry. The year of 2025 also marks the 240th birth anniversary of Theodor von Grotthuss.

Christian Johann Dietrich "Theodor" von Grotthuss was a Baltic-German scientist best known for his contributions to electrolysis and photochemistry. He was born on January 20, 1785 in Leipzig during an extended stay of his parents away from their home in Gedučiai Manor in northern Lithuania. He showed an early interest in natural sciences and later pursued his studies in Leipzig and Paris.

Grotthuss groundbreaking 1805 paper on the electrolysis of water (C. J. T. de Grotthuss, Mémoire sur la décomposition de l’eau et des corps qu’elle tient en dissolution à l’aide de l’électricité galvanique, Effemeridi letterarie di Roma (Rome), 15 (1805).; C. J. T. de Grotthuss, Sur la décomposition de l’eau et des corps qu’elle tient en dissolution à l’aide de l’électricité galvanique, Ann. Chim. (Paris) 58: 54–73 (1806).; C. J. T. Grotthuss, Memoire upon the decomposition of water, and of the bodies which it holds in solution by means of galvanic current, Tillochs Philos. Mag. (London), 25: 330-339 (1806).)) introduced a dynamic polarization concept, which challenged the existing electrostatic model of galvanic phenomena. He proposed that under the influence of an electrical current, molecules in solution form polarized chains and exchange components along these chains. Only the terminal molecules in these chains decompose, releasing hydrogen at the negative and oxygen at the positive poles, respectively. This concept explained why hydrogen and oxygen were generated at separate poles rather than throughout the solution. These concepts laid the foundation for understanding electrolytic and charge transport processes including what is now known as the Grotthuss mechanism of proton structural diffusion in water.

Grotthuss also made significant advancements in photochemistry. He challenged Newton's model of light by observing that the color of phosphorescent light differed from the absorbed light. He theorized that light splits into positive and negative components when it interacts with polarized molecules, causing the emission of light of a different color (T. v. Grotthuss, Über einen neuen Lichtsauger nebst einigen allgemeinen Betrachtungen über die Phosphoreszenz un der Farben, Schweiggers J. Chem. Phys., 14: 133-192 (1815)).  Later he published a paper that presented a unified concept of physical and chemical phenomena, including heat, light, and electricity (T. v. Grotthuss, Über die chemische Wirksamkeit des Lichtes und der Elektricität, Jahres Verhandlungen der Kurländischen Gesellschaft für Literatur und Kunst, 1: 119-184 (1819)). Through his research, the basic laws of photochemistry, now known as the Grotthuss-Draper laws were formulated, which state that only absorbed light can cause a photochemical reaction, and the reaction rate is proportional to the time of exposure and intensity of the light.

Grotthuss contributions have had a lasting impact on the fields of electrochemistry and photochemistry. His work influenced future scientists, including Wilhelm Ostwald and Svante Arrhenius, who credited Grotthuss ideas in his Nobel Lecture (S. Arrhenius, Utvecklingen af teorien om den elektrolytiska dissociationen, Les Prix Nobel en 1903, Editor Carl Gustaf Santesson, Stockholm, (1906).)

In recognition of importance of Grotthuss work to chemistry, the Theodor von Grotthuss Laboratory, located in the village of Gedučiai near the town of Žeimelis in northern Lithuania, was awarded the Historical Landmark Award by the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) (for more information, please visit).