The ozonolysis reaction is widely used in the academy and in industry. The first reports about the existence of the ozone molecule were made over 200 years ago. Several ideas and assumptions were made to understand the chemical properties of the ozone molecule and the ozonolysis mechanism. The intent of this paper is not to be an extensive review about ozone chemistry or ozonolysis reactions, but to highlight how the rational process was developed and how conclusions were drawn at a time with limited instrumentation.
ozone; ozonolysis mechanism; historical approach
