For, with pure water the inversion of cane sugar scarcely proceeds and subsequently it required very thorough, difficult studies before this effect and its order of magnitude were established.

; Jespersen O. Leipzig. Energetische Grundlagen der Kulturwissenschaft (1st ed.

Ostwald Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff and Svante Arrhenius are usually credited with being the modern founders of the field of physical chemistry. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis chemical equilibria and reaction velocities.