English chemist Humphry Davy discovered and isolated the highly reactive alkali metals especially sodium and potassium by adopting the method:

Humphry Davy, an English chemist, discovered and isolated the highly reactive alkali metals sodium and potassium by using the method of electrolysis. He passed electric current through molten compounds to decompose them into their elements. Sodium was obtained from molten NaOH and potassium from molten KOH. In the early 19th century, Davy employed electrolysis to break down molten salts into their constituent elements.