Alexander Nesmeyanov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexander Nesmeyanov Александр Несмеянов
Image of Alexander Nemesyanov on a 1980 Soviet stamp
Born	9 September [O.S. 28 August] 1899 Moscow, Russian Empire
Died	17 January 1980(1980-01-17) (aged 80) Moscow, USSR
Awards	Lomonosov Gold Medal (1962)
Signature

Alexander Nikolaevich Nesmeyanov (Russian: Александр Николаевич Несмеянов; 9 September 1899 – 17 January 1980) was a very important Soviet chemist. He was also a top scientist, known for his work in organometallic chemistry. This is a special field that combines parts of inorganic and organic chemistry.

Biography

Alexander Nesmeyanov was born in Moscow on 9 September 1899. He had two brothers and one sister. His father was a teacher and later a director of an orphanage. His mother was also a talented teacher.

When he was ten, Alexander decided to become a vegetarian. By 1913, he stopped eating fish too. This was quite challenging, especially during the difficult years of 1918-1921 when food was scarce. He was interested in many parts of biology, like insects and birds. From age thirteen, he became very interested in chemistry.

Education

In 1909, Alexander went to a private school in Moscow and graduated with top honors. In 1917, he started studying at Moscow University. There were no entrance exams because of the revolution happening at the time.

Studying during this period was very hard. Rooms were cold, and there wasn't enough lab equipment. Sometimes, Alexander had to walk a long way to the university. In 1920, university classes stopped because of heating problems. Nesmeyanov then joined a military academy and worked in other labs. Later that year, he returned to Moscow University when heating was fixed. He met Professor N. D. Zelinsky, who became his science mentor. Alexander even lived in Zelinsky's lab while working as a night watchman, spending all his time on science experiments.

After University

After finishing university in 1922, Nesmeyanov stayed at Professor Zelinsky's department. He worked his way up, becoming an assistant, then an associate professor, and finally a full professor by 1935. He led the Department of Organic Chemistry at a special institute starting in 1938.

From 1939 to 1954, Nesmeyanov was the director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry. He became a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1939 and a full academician in 1943.

After World War II, Alexander Nesmeyanov returned to Moscow University. He led the Organic Chemistry Department from 1944 to 1958. He was also the dean of the Chemistry Faculty and then the rector (head) of Moscow State University from 1948 to 1951.

During his time as rector, a huge new complex of university buildings began construction on the Sparrow Hills. He helped plan where all the university departments would go in the new location. He also helped improve the university's structure and study programs. For example, courses on the history of science were added, and the Faculty of Biology was changed to include soil science.

In 1951, after the death of the Academy of Sciences president, Nesmeyanov was asked to take the job. He was elected president of the Academy of Sciences on February 16, 1951.

In 1952, he started the Institute for Scientific Information. In 1954, he opened the Institute of Organoelement Compounds, which he led until he died. This institute is now named after him. On May 19, 1961, Nesmeyanov decided to step down as president of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

He was a deputy in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from 1950 to 1962. Alexander Nesmeyanov enjoyed literature and painting. He also wrote poetry and was a keen mushroom picker. He passed away on January 17, 1980, and was buried in Moscow.

Family

Alexander Nesmeyanov was married twice. His first wife, Nina Koperina, was also a chemist. They had two children: Olga and Nikolai, who both became chemists. His second wife was Marina Vinogradova, a writer.

He had two brothers and a sister. His brother Andrey was a radiochemist and a professor. His brother Vasily worked in geodesy and cartography.

Scientific Activity

Alexander Nesmeyanov was one of the most important organic chemists of the 20th century. He did a lot of basic research on how organic compounds are built and how they react. He created a new field called "chemistry of organoelement compounds." This area combines ideas from both inorganic and organic chemistry.

His research also helped in making synthetic food, creating new medicines, and developing technical materials.

Nesmeyanov's Diazomethod

In 1929, Nesmeyanov developed a new way to create certain metal-containing organic compounds, called arylmercury halides. This method involved using copper powder to break down specific salts.

Later, this "diazo method" was used to make similar compounds with other elements like thallium, germanium, tin, and lead. What made this method special was that it could create organometallic compounds with different groups of atoms attached. It also allowed scientists to place a metal atom in a very specific spot in a molecule.

How Unsaturated Organometallic Compounds React

Nesmeyanov studied how certain mercury compounds reacted with ethylene and acetylene. His work led to the idea that a substance can react in two different ways, and that the reaction can "move" along a chain of atoms in a molecule.

He also worked with A.E. Borisov to create a rule. This rule explains that when certain atoms are replaced in a molecule, the molecule's shape (geometric configuration) stays the same. His research also showed that some ketone derivatives exist in a different form than previously thought, which helped correct older ideas in chemistry.

Metallotropy

Nesmeyanov discovered a phenomenon called "metallotropy." This is a special type of chemical change where a metal-containing group of atoms moves back and forth within a molecule.

Working with other scientists, he also found "heteroatomic tautomerism." This is when atoms move between carbon and oxygen in certain tin and germanium compounds. Later, he and his colleagues discovered another type of metallotropy in certain chromium compounds, where they could change their structure reversibly.

Research on Ferrocene

In 1954, Nesmeyanov started researching ferrocene and its related compounds. Ferrocene is a unique compound with an iron atom sandwiched between two carbon rings. His team found that ferrocene compounds react similarly to other aromatic compounds.

This research led to some practical uses. For example, they created special materials that can form stable images on paper, fabric, and metals. They also developed a new medicine called ferrocerone, which helps with iron deficiency. Another discovery was a new additive for gasoline, based on a compound called cymantrene, which helps engines run better.

Research in Organic Chemistry

Nesmeyanov and his team developed a method to create different five- and six-membered heterocycles. These are ring-shaped molecules that contain atoms other than carbon in their rings. This method was based on how active certain groups of atoms are.

They also developed a method called "β-ketovinylation," which involves adding a specific group of atoms to a molecule. By studying how certain compounds react, they learned more about how atoms are replaced in molecules.

Nesmeyanov also did a lot of work on how radicals (atoms or molecules with unpaired electrons) react. He found new ways to make compounds containing specific groups of atoms. His research helped explain how certain rearrangements happen during chemical reactions.

Continuing his earlier work on the diazo method, Nesmeyanov and L. G. Makarova studied how certain salts break down. This led to the creation of new types of compounds called onium salts. Working with other scientists, Nesmeyanov showed that these new compounds could be used to make other metal-containing organic compounds.

New Ways to Make Food

In 1961, Nesmeyanov had an exciting idea: to create food using synthetic methods, without needing traditional farming. He was inspired by earlier scientists and the new possibilities of organic chemistry. He also thought about protecting the environment and making food production more efficient.

His main goals were to find efficient ways to make nutrients and to make synthetic foods look, taste, smell, and feel like natural products. As a result of his research, his institute developed ways to make synthetic black caviar, new kinds of potato products, pasta, cereals, and meat products using both plant and animal proteins.

Recognition

Alexander Nesmeyanov's work on organoelement compounds made him famous not just in the Soviet Union, but around the world. He was made an honorary member of many foreign academies and scientific groups.

Awards and Prizes

• Stalin Prize (1943) – for his research on organometallic compounds.
• Lenin Prize (1966) – for his work on organoelement compounds.
• Twice Hero of Socialist Labor (1969, 1979) – a high honor for his contributions.
• Gold medal named after D. I. Mendeleev (1977) – for his work on organometallic compounds and making food from new sources.
• Large Gold Medal named after M. V. Lomonosov (1962) – from the USSR Academy of Sciences.
• Seven Orders of Lenin – a very high Soviet award.
• Order of the October Revolution (1974)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1949)
• Silver medal of the World Peace Council (1959)

Academies and Societies

He was an honorary member of many academies, including:

• Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR
• Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR
• Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR
• Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (1952)
• Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1953)
• Romanian Academy of Sciences (1957)
• New York Academy of Sciences USA (1958)
• American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Boston (1960)
• London Chemical Society
• Polish Chemical Society
• National Institute of Sciences of India
• Royal Society of Edinburgh
• German Academy of Naturalists "Leopoldina" (1959)
• International Academy of Astronautics (1966)
• Polish Academy of Sciences (1954)
• Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (1957)
• Foreign Member of the Royal Society (1961)
• GDR Academy of Sciences (1950)
• He received honorary doctorates from universities like the University of Paris (1964), University of Bordeaux (1966), University of Jena, and University of Calcutta.
• He was a member of the World Peace Council (1950).

Memory

• The Institute of Organoelement Compounds is named after A. N. Nesmeyanov. There is a memorial statue of him in front of the building.
• On September 26, 1980, a street in Moscow was named after Alexander Nikolayevich.
• The Russian Academy of Sciences created the A.N. Nesmeyanov Prize in 1994. It is given for excellent work in the chemistry of organoelement compounds.
• In December 1980, a stamp was issued in the USSR to honor A. N. Nesmeyanov.
• The writer Alexander Petrovich Kazantsev dedicated his novel "The Dome of Hope" to Nesmeyanov, admiring his life and work.

Striving for the future, one must always remember, love and revere everything that is at its best.

—A. N. Nesmeyanov

Images for kids

• 

  USSR postage stamp (1980). Alexander Nikolaevich Nesmeyanov