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BIOGRAPHIES OF GREAT SCIENTISTS
Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich Biography of a scientist
Directory / Biographies of great scientists
Alexander Butlerov was born on September 3 (15), 1828 in Chistopol. He spent his childhood in Butlerovka, a small village near Kazan, where his father's estate was located. Sasha did not remember his mother, she died eleven days after his birth. Raised by his father, an educated man, Sasha wanted to be like him in everything. At first he went to a boarding school, and then entered the First Kazan Gymnasium, whose teachers were very experienced, well-trained, they knew how to interest students. Sasha easily assimilated the material, since from early childhood he was taught to work systematically. He was especially attracted to the natural sciences. After graduating from the gymnasium, against the wishes of his father, Sasha entered the natural science department of Kazan University, however, so far only as a student, since he was still a minor. Only in the following year, 1845, when the young man was 17 years old, did Butlerov's name appear on the list of those accepted for the first year. In 1846, Alexander fell ill with typhus and miraculously survived, but his father, who had contracted it, died. In autumn, together with my aunt, they moved to Kazan. Gradually, youth took its toll, both health and fun returned to Sasha. Young Butlerov studied with exceptional zeal, but, to his surprise, he noticed that lectures on chemistry gave him the greatest pleasure. The lectures of Professor Klaus did not satisfy him, and he began to regularly attend the lectures of Nikolai Nikolaevich Zinin, which were given to students of the Physics and Mathematics Department. Very soon, Zinin, observing Alexander during laboratory work, noticed that this fair-haired student was unusually gifted and could become a good researcher. Butlerov was successful, but more and more often he thought about his future, not knowing what he would eventually choose. Take up biology? So much unexplored in this area! But, on the other hand, doesn't the lack of a clear understanding of organic reactions offer endless possibilities for research? To receive a candidate's degree, Butlerov had to submit a dissertation upon graduation from the university. By this time, Zinin left Kazan for St. Petersburg and he had no choice but to take up the natural sciences. For the candidate's work, Butlerov prepared an article "Daytime butterflies of the Volga-Ural fauna". However, the circumstances were such that Alexander still had to return to chemistry. After the Council approved his degree, Butlerov remained to work at the university. The only professor of chemistry, Klaus, could not conduct all the classes himself and needed an assistant. Butlerov became them. In the fall of 1850, Butlerov passed the exams for a master's degree in chemistry and immediately began his doctoral dissertation "On Essential Oils", which he defended at the beginning of the next year. In parallel with the preparation of lectures, Butlerov engaged in a detailed study of the history of chemical science. The young scientist worked hard in his office, in the laboratory, and at home. In the opinion of his aunts, their old apartment was uncomfortable, so they rented another, more spacious one, from Sofya Timofeevna Aksakova, an energetic and determined woman. She received Butlerov with maternal care, seeing him as a suitable match for her daughter. Despite being constantly busy at the university, Alexander Mikhailovich remained a cheerful and sociable person. He was by no means distinguished by the notorious "professional absent-mindedness", and his friendly smile and ease of address made him a welcome guest everywhere. Sofya Timofeevna noted with satisfaction that the young scientist was clearly not indifferent to Nadenka. The girl was indeed pretty, with a high, intelligent forehead, large, sparkling eyes, strict, regular features, and some sort of special charm. Young people became good friends, and over time they began to increasingly feel the need to be together, to share their most intimate thoughts. Soon Nadezhda Mikhailovna Glumilina, the niece of the writer S. T. Aksakov, became the wife of Alexander Mikhailovich. Butlerov was known not only as an outstanding chemist, but also as a talented botanist. He conducted various experiments in his greenhouses in Kazan and Butlerovka, wrote articles on the problems of horticulture, floriculture and agriculture. With rare patience and love, he watched the development of delicate camellias, lush roses, brought out new varieties of flowers. Going home, he never forgot to cut the best flowers for his wife. On June 4, 1854, Butlerov received confirmation that he had been awarded the degree of Doctor of Chemistry and Physics. Events unfolded with incredible speed. Immediately after receiving his doctorate, Butlerov was appointed acting professor of chemistry at Kazan University. At the beginning of 1857, he already became a professor, and in the summer of that year he received permission to travel abroad. Butlerov arrived in Berlin at the end of the summer. He then continued to tour Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France. The ultimate goal of his journey was Paris - the world center of chemical science of that time. He was attracted, first of all, by a meeting with Adolf Würz. Butlerov worked in Wurtz's laboratory for two months. It was here that he began his experimental research, which over the next twenty years culminated in the discovery of dozens of new substances and reactions. Numerous exemplary syntheses of Butler's ethanol and ethylene, dinzobutylene, tertiary alcohols, urotropine, trioxymethylene, polymerization of ethylene hydrocarbons lie at the origins of a number of industries and, thus, had the most direct stimulating effect on it. While studying hydrocarbons, Butlerov realized that they represent a very special class of chemicals. Analyzing their structure and properties, the scientist noticed that there is a strict pattern here. It formed the basis of the theory of chemical structure he created. His report at the Paris Academy of Sciences aroused general interest and lively debate. Butlerov said: “The ability of atoms to connect with each other is different. Particularly interesting in this respect is carbon, which, according to August Kekule, is tetravalent. properties of the respective compounds. Perhaps the time has come when our research should become the basis of a new theory of the chemical structure of substances. This theory will be distinguished by the accuracy of mathematical laws and will make it possible to foresee the properties of organic compounds." No one has yet expressed such thoughts. A few years later, during a second trip abroad, Butlerov presented the theory he had created for discussion. He made the announcement at the 36th Congress of German Naturalists and Physicians in Speyer. The convention took place in September 1861. He made a presentation before the chemical section. The topic had a more than modest name: "Something about the chemical structure of bodies." Butlerov spoke simply and clearly. Without going into unnecessary details, he introduced the audience to a new theory of the chemical structure of organic substances. His report aroused unprecedented interest. "Each chemical atom that is part of the body participates in its formation and acts with certain forces. These forces affect the atoms surrounding it, as a result of which the latter are bound into a chemical particle molecule. The distribution of the action of these forces, leading to the connection of atoms in a certain order, I call the chemical structure. From this it follows that the chemical nature of complex particles is determined by the nature of its elementary constituents, their quantity and chemical structure." The term "chemical structure" was found in the literature even before Butlerov, but he rethought it and applied it to define a new concept of the order of interatomic bonds in molecules. The theory of chemical structure now serves as the fundamental basis for all modern sections of synthetic chemistry without exception; categories of structural chemistry think, create new production, design all engineers and technicians. So, the theory has declared its right to exist. It required further development, and where, if not in Kazan, should this be done, because a new theory was born there, its creator worked there. For Butlerov, rector's duties turned out to be a heavy and unbearable burden. He several times asked to be relieved of this position, but all his requests remained unsatisfied. Worries did not leave him at home. Only in the garden, taking care of his favorite flowers, did he forget the anxieties and troubles of the past day. He did not get tired of admiring camellias and roses grown with his own hands. Often, his son Misha worked with him in the garden; Alexander Mikhailovich asked the boy about the events at school, told curious details about the flowers. The year 1863 came - the happiest year in the life of the great scientist. Butlerov was on the right track. Acting with dimethylzinc on acetyl chloride, he managed for the first time in the history of chemistry to obtain the simplest tertiary alcohol - tertiary butyl alcohol, or trimethylcarbinol. Shortly thereafter, reports appeared in the literature about the successful synthesis of primary and secondary butyl alcohols. Scientists have known isobutyl alcohol since 1852, when it was first isolated from natural vegetable oil. Now there was no question of any dispute, since there were four different butyl alcohols, and all of them are isomers. What a triumph for structural theory! And how happy was its author. The triumph of Butlerov's theory of the chemical structure of organic compounds was the correct explanation based on this theory of the phenomena of isomerism. In the article "On the Different Ways of Explaining Some Cases of Isomerism", published in 1863 in German and in 1864 in French, Butlerov concluded: "If, with the same composition, substances differ in properties, then they must also differ in their chemical structure." The best confirmation of Butlerov's theory of isomerism was the synthesis of theoretically predicted isomers of isobutane and isobutylene. In 1862-1865, Butlerov expressed the main position of the theory of reversible isomerization of tautomerism, the mechanism of which, according to Butlerov, is the splitting of molecules of one structure and the combination of their residues to form molecules of another structure. It was a brilliant idea. The great scientist argued the need for a dynamic approach to chemical processes, that is, the need to consider them as equilibrium. Butlerov's priority as the author of the theory of tautomerism was not denied even by the German chemist Peter Laar, who coined the term "tautomerism". Success brought confidence to the scientist, but at the same time presented him with a new, more difficult task. It was necessary to apply the structural theory to all reactions and compounds of organic chemistry, and most importantly, to write a new textbook on organic chemistry, where all phenomena would be considered from the point of view of a new theory of structure. Butlerov worked on the textbook for almost two years without a break. The book "Introduction to the Complete Study of Organic Chemistry" was published in three editions in 1864-1866. It did not go to any comparison with any of the then known textbooks. This inspired work was the revelation of Butlerov, a chemist, experimenter and philosopher, who rebuilt all the material accumulated by science according to a new principle, according to the principle of chemical structure. The book caused a real revolution in chemical science. Already in 1867, work began on its translation and publication in German. Shortly thereafter, editions appeared in almost all major European languages. According to the German researcher Victor Meyer, it has become "a guiding light in the vast majority of research in organic chemistry." Since Alexander Mikhailovich finished work on the textbook, he increasingly spent time in Butlerovka. Even during the school year, the family visited the village several times a week. The youngest son, two-year-old Volodya, played all day in the meadow near the house. Butlerov felt free from worries here and devoted himself entirely to his favorite hobbies: flowers and collections of insects. Now Butlerov worked less in the laboratory, but closely followed new discoveries. In the spring of 1868, at the initiative of the famous chemist Mendeleev, Alexander Mikhailovich was invited to St. Petersburg University, where he began to lecture and got the opportunity to organize his own chemical laboratory. Butlerov developed a new methodology for teaching students by offering the now universally accepted laboratory workshop in which students were taught how to work with a variety of chemical equipment. In his research, Butlerov continued to develop the structural theory. He set out to prove that all types of organic compounds can have branched and straight carbon chains. This followed directly from the theory, but the theoretical propositions had to be proved in practice. Is it not possible to obtain a hydrocarbon, such as butane, whose four carbon atoms would be connected to each other not sequentially, but in the way they are connected in trimethylcarbinol? But to find the right method for its synthesis, many experiments were required. And finally, Butlerov's efforts were crowned with success. In a large flask was the long-awaited isobutylene. The existence of a branched chain of hydrocarbons has been proven! Simultaneously with his scientific activities, Butlerov is actively involved in the public life of St. Petersburg. At that time, the progressive public was particularly concerned about the education of women. Women should have free access to higher education! The Higher Women's Courses were organized at the Medico-Surgical Academy, classes began at the Bestuzhev Women's Courses, where Butlerov lectured on chemistry. The multilateral scientific activity of Butlerov was recognized by the Academy of Sciences. In 1871 he was elected an extraordinary academician, and three years later - an ordinary academician, which gave him the right to receive an apartment in the academy building. Nikolai Nikolaevich Zinin also lived there. Close proximity further strengthened a long-standing friendship. The years passed inexorably. Working with students became too difficult for him, and Butlerov decided to leave the university. He delivered his farewell lecture on April 4, 1880, to the second-year students. They greeted the news of the departure of their beloved professor with deep chagrin. The Academic Council decided to ask Butlerov to stay and elected him for another five years. The scientist decided to limit his activities at the university only to reading the main course. And yet, several times a week, he appeared in the laboratory and supervised the work. Throughout his life, Butlerov carried another passion - beekeeping. On his estate, he organized an exemplary apiary, and in the last years of his life, a real school for peasant beekeepers. Butlerov was proud of his book "The Bee, Its Life and the Rules of Intelligent Beekeeping" almost more than his scientific work. Butlerov believed that a real scientist should also be a popularizer of his science. In parallel with scientific articles, he published public pamphlets in which he vividly and colorfully spoke about his discoveries. He completed the last of them just six months before his death. The scientist died from blockage of blood vessels on August 5 (17), 1886. Author: Samin D.K.
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