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BIOGRAPHIES OF GREAT SCIENTISTS
Zinin Nikolai Nikolaevich. Biography of a scientist
Directory / Biographies of great scientists
The founder of the aniline industry in Germany, chemist August Hoffmann, at a meeting of the German Chemical Society on March 8, 1880, said: "If Zinin had not taught us anything more than the transformation of nitrobenzene into aniline, then even then his name would have remained written in golden letters in the history of chemistry." Nikolai Zinin was born on August 13 (25), 1812. At first he studied at the Saratov gymnasium. Thirsty for knowledge, the young man read everything that came to his hand in the provincial Saratov. After graduating from high school, he goes to enter Kazan University. The rector of the university, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, ordered that Zinin be provided with a hostel. And on the same day the gates of the university were closed, the strictest quarantine was imposed: the formidable shadow of the epidemic was already hanging over the city. Zinin brilliantly passed the entrance exam and was enrolled at the public expense as a student in the department of physical and mathematical sciences. November 24, 1830 - the first academic day at the university, which marked the beginning of a new life - a life entirely devoted to science. Professor of mathematics Lobachevsky and professor of astronomy Ivan Mikhailovich Simonov in the very first days of classes drew attention to a capable young man. As a rule, the children of wealthy parents studied at the university. They aspired to get a diploma, and they were not particularly interested in science. The main thing for them was to pass the exam. Against the background of the general student mass, Zinin's figure stood out sharply. Such hard-working and knowledge-seeking students were rare. The professors helped them in every possible way; they tried to keep such students as assistants at the university, instructing them to develop some topic. Zinin also received his dissertation topic: "Investigation of perturbations of the regular motion of planets, comets and satellites under the influence of other celestial bodies." Three years of teaching at the university passed unnoticed. Zinin was introduced to the Academic Council "because of his exceptional abilities and the likelihood of becoming an excellent researcher." On April 17, 1835, the master's examinations began. The Academic Council considered all Zinin's answers satisfactory. Soon he received the topic of his master's thesis. Nikolai did not expect that he would be offered a topic in chemistry. Zinin met this message with chagrin and obvious bewilderment: he considered himself a mathematician, but by no means a chemist. “You have great opportunities,” Lobachevsky assured him. - If you're good at math, you'll do well at chemistry. We have a great need for chemists. The iron logic of Lobachevsky shook Zinin's doubts. Nikolai Nikolaevich admired the great mathematician. Zinin agreed and went to study abroad. When Zinin arrived in Berlin in the spring of 1837, he was already fluent in three European languages. Here he attended a special course in physiological chemistry taught by Professor Müller, attended lectures in mathematics and lectures in medicine. Then Nikolai moved to Hesse to the famous chemist Liebig. Liebig's laboratory was filled with an atmosphere of creativity and tireless research. Everyone worked diligently and enthusiastically. The new discovery delighted everyone. Every morning, Liebig listened to the reports of employees on the work of the past day, gave an assessment of the results, but the trainees had to find a way to solve problems on their own. Working with benzoic acid fascinated Zinin. Although scientific research occupied him entirely, Zinin found time to attend Liebig's lectures on experimental chemistry, as well as classes in analytical chemistry. A few months later, Zinin knew the joy of the first success. Studying the effect of various reagents on bitter almond oil (benzaldehyde), he discovered an easy and simple way to convert this substance into benzoin. The description of this research was Zinin's first scientific publication, which was published in the "Annals" published by Liebig in 1839. The following year he published an article "On Products Obtained by the Decomposition of Bitter Almond Oil". Chemistry fascinated the scientist more and more. In September 1840, Zinin returned to Russia, and on January 30, 1841, in St. Petersburg, Zinin defended his doctoral dissertation and received a doctorate in natural sciences. After the defense, the young scientist returned to Kazan. In work, in communication with friends, days flowed, but, remaining alone with himself, he acutely felt loneliness. The landlady surrounded him with worries, and often in the evenings Zinin went into her room to drink tea and talk. Gradually, the affection grew, and the idea of marriage became a matter of course. With the marriage, Zinin's life was streamlined, and worries about everyday life no longer distracted him. Now the scientist devoted all his time and energy to science. In the mornings he worked in the library, lectured, finished urgent business. After lunch, he taught students in the laboratory. At this time, "burning" was carried out - this was the name for the analysis of organic substances developed by Liebig. On the days allotted for "burnings", the servant Fyodor laid charcoal in the furnace from early morning. Zinin appeared in the laboratory at about two o'clock, students and assistants were already waiting for him. At that time, he was occupied with one problem: what substance is obtained by treating nitrobenzene with hydrogen sulfide. The idea of these studies was born in Hesse. Bitter almond oil, nitrobenzene and a number of other benzene derivatives, like benzene itself, are highly reactive substances. Zinin set out to study the possibilities of their interaction with other substances. By subjecting them to hydrogen sulfide or sodium sulfide solution, Zinin intended to obtain a product containing sulfur. However, to his surprise, the colorless liquid formed after the interaction of nitrobenzene with hydrogen sulfide did not contain even traces of sulfur. Zinin went up to the cupboard, opened a flask with a yellow oily liquid, and carefully sniffed it. Strange... The smell reminded him of the liquid he had already seen in Fritzsche's laboratory. Is it aniline? But the aniline obtained by Fritzsche was colored dark brown ... Zinin put the bottle in the closet and went home, but the thought of the substance he had received did not leave him. In an article published in 1842 in the Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, he outlined a method for obtaining a new substance, which he called benzides. Zinin sent Fritzsche an ampoule with the resulting liquid for comparison with the substance that Fritzsche had isolated. A few weeks later the answer came. Both substances are identical. Zinin made a great discovery. Until now, aniline was obtained as a decomposition product of various natural substances. From now on, it has been proven that aniline can be obtained in a simple way - by the reduction of nitrobenzene with hydrogen sulfide. Zinin's discovery aroused great interest among European scientists; many European chemical journals published an article outlining the method for obtaining "benzydam". Previously, aniline had no practical application, but the reaction discovered by Zinin made it possible to widely use this substance. The method of obtaining aromatic amines by the reduction of nitro compounds with hydrogen sulfide is now called the "Zinin reaction". A few years later, both substances, aniline and naphthalide (as Zinin called naphthylamine), described in this article, became the basis for the industrial production of aniline dyes. Zinin continued to study the possibilities of the reaction discovered by him, applying it to mono- and dinitro derivatives of benzene, to nitro acids. In all cases, the starting nitro compound was converted into an amino derivative. Later, Zinin tried to extend the reaction to some nitrated acyclic hydrocarbons. In 1845, Zinin synthesized azoxybenzene, then hydrazobenzene, which turns into benzidine in an acidic environment. For all the years spent in Kazan, Zinina did not leave the thought of moving to St. Petersburg. He counted the days until the expiration of the term of his work at Kazan University specified in the obligation. After the unexpected misfortune that befell Zinin, the decision was finally ripe. For some time now, his wife began to lose weight, turn pale and suffocate in bouts of dry coughing. The diagnosis left no doubt - consumption. The quiet and weak woman did not have the will to fight a terrible illness, she immediately recognized herself as doomed and faded away within a few weeks. Petersburg friends came to the aid of Nikolai Nikolaevich. The well-known surgeon P. A. Dubovitsky informed Zinin that the department of chemistry at the Medical-Surgical Academy in St. Petersburg was vacant. Having prepared the necessary documents, Zinin went to the capital. At the end of January 1848 he was appointed ordinary professor of chemistry. Having started work, Zinin immediately made major changes to the curricula of the Medico-Surgical Academy. According to the scientist, the physiological processes in the body are chemical and physical processes, and therefore a real doctor must know chemistry and physics well. These subjects were now given such a significant place in the program that the St. Petersburg wits began to call the Medico-Surgical Academy of Medico-Chemistry. Once, in the box of the St. Petersburg Opera House, Zinin found himself next to a beautiful young lady. Fritzsche introduced Nikolai Nikolaevich to the lady. Zinin bowed politely, but his neighbor's smile somewhat embarrassed him. This meeting did not go unnoticed. Not daring to admit to himself that this woman made an impression on him, Zinin constantly returned his thoughts to Elizaveta Alexandrovna ... A few months later she became his wife. With the marriage, life in St. Petersburg became even more interesting and fulfilling for Zinin. He continued research on nitro derivatives. In this work he was assisted by VF Petrushevsky, who taught chemistry at military schools in St. Petersburg. In 1853-1854, they developed a method for impregnating black powder with nitroglycerin. Later, Petrushevsky discovered dynamite with magnesium carbonate, called "Petrushevsky's Russian dynamite". As a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences (Zinin was elected on May 2, 1858), he used all his influence to obtain the allocation of funds for the construction of premises and a laboratory for the chemical department at the academy. Funds were eventually released and construction proceeded at a rapid pace. After thirty years of public service, Zinin was required by law to retire. In 1862, Borodin began lecturing on organic chemistry instead of him, while Nikolai Nikolaevich continued to serve as secretary of the Academic Council for another two years. Then the Academic Council relieved him of this duty, but in order for Zinin to remain at the academy, he approved the special position of director of chemical work. A year later, Zinin was elected a full member of the Academy of Sciences. Zinin's great contribution to the development of organic chemistry received a well-deserved appreciation. He was elected a member of the jury of the international exhibition in Paris, where he traveled with Fritzsche and Jacobi. The scientific community of Paris warmly welcomed the Russian scientist. Scientists from many countries sought to meet him, came to meet him, shake his hand, and congratulate him. The famous reaction, first carried out by Zinin, two decades later gave an unprecedented impetus to the development of the aniline-dye industry. In 1868, on the initiative of Nikolai Nikolaevich, the Russian Chemical Society was founded in St. Petersburg, and Zinin was elected its chairman. Zinin tried in every possible way to support and promote capable students. Among them were A. P. Borodin, N. N. Beketov, A. N. Engelgardt, L. N. Shishkov. While still working in Kazan, he noticed the exceptional abilities of the young scientist Alexander Butlerov and subsequently did everything so that his student was transferred to St. Petersburg and received a professorship. After the death of academician Fritzsche, again at the insistence of Zinin, Butlerov was appointed in his place. According to the charter of the academy, Alexander Mikhailovich even occupied Fritzsche's apartment. The close friendship between the teacher and the student helped both in their work. Often Zinin went to Butlerov's laboratory to consult and exchange opinions. Despite his advanced age, Zinin continued to work with youthful enthusiasm. Now the subject of his research were benzoin, benzamaron and amary acid. He studied in detail the properties of these substances, their derivatives, methods of obtaining and reactions of their transformation into other substances. Zinin had an unusual rest - he read mathematical works with pleasure. Love for mathematics remained for life. One day in the spring of 1879, while in Butlerov's laboratory, the scientist felt a terrible pain in the lower back. He caught his breath, his head was spinning, and Nikolai Nikolayevich collapsed onto the steps. The wandering kidney that had plagued him since his school injury now began to cause untold suffering. He was treated by Sergei Petrovich Botkin and Botkin's assistant Alexander Alexandrovich Zagumeni, husband of Zinin's eldest daughter. They recommended complete rest, since severe pain could be fatal. Sad predictions came true: during one of these attacks, the heart could not stand it ... It happened on February 6 (18), 1880. Author: Samin D.K.
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