In late 1880s, experimenting with cholesteryl benzoate, he discovered properties of liquid crystals (named later by Otto Lehmann).

He studied chemistry at the German technical university in Prague; in 1883 he was habilitated there as a private docent.

[3] While at Karl-Ferdinands-Universität in 1888 he discovered a strange behaviour of what would later be called liquid crystals.

For the explanation of their behaviour he collaborated with the physicist Otto Lehmann from Aachen.

The discovery received plenty of attention at the time but no practical uses were apparent and the interest dropped soon.