Ludwig Ferdinand Wilhelmy (25 December 1812, Stargard in Pommern – 18 February 1864, Berlin) was a German scientist who is usually credited with publishing the first quantitative study in chemical kinetics.
However, driven by a desire for scientific research, he sold the shop in 1843 and pursued studies in chemistry and physics at the universities of Berlin, Giessen, and Heidelberg.
Despite his academic success, Wilhelmy left the university after five years and returned to private life in Berlin, dedicating himself to studies in philosophy, mathematics, and physics.
Wilhelmy's work in chemical kinetics concerned the acid-catalyzed conversion of a sucrose solution into a 1:1 mixture of fructose and glucose, a reaction that he followed with a polarimeter.
Similar laboratory results were published by Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff and Svante Arrhenius 30 years later, with a much greater impact.