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Sergey ReformatskiySoviet organic chemist, since 1928 Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Date of Birth: 20.03.1860
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Academic Career
- Reformatsky Reaction
- Return to Russia and Later Career
- The Famous Duel
Early Life and Education
Sergei Nikolaevich Reformatsky was born in the village of Borisoglebskoye, in the Kostroma Governorate (now Ivanovo Oblast), Russia, on August 22, 1860. His father was a priest, and Reformatsky followed in his footsteps, graduating from the Kostroma Theological Seminary in 1878.
Reformatsky then enrolled in the Natural Sciences department of Kazan University's Physics and Mathematics Faculty. While a student, he worked in the laboratory of renowned chemist Alexander Mikhailovich Zaitsev. In 1882, he graduated summa cum laude with a candidate's degree, his thesis being titled "Study of Hydrocarbon CYH18, obtained from Allyldipropylcarbinol."
Academic Career
From 1882 to 1889, Reformatsky worked at his alma mater, becoming curator of the museum in Zaitsev's laboratory in 1882. In 1889, he defended his master's thesis on the topic "Saturated Polyatomic Alcohols." He continued his studies in Europe under Victor Meyer in Göttingen and Heidelberg, and Wilhelm Ostwald in Leipzig (1889-1890).
Reformatsky Reaction
In 1887, Reformatsky discovered a method for obtaining β-hydroxy acids by reacting esters of α-halogenated carboxylic acids with aldehydes in the presence of zinc. This reaction, known as the Reformatsky reaction, later became the basis for the synthesis of β-keto acids and unsaturated organic compounds. It was instrumental in the artificial synthesis of Vitamin A and its derivatives.
Despite the discovery of a more convenient method by Grignard in 1900, the Reformatsky reaction remains valuable. Chemical literature describes cases where Grignard's reaction failed to produce desired compounds, while the Reformatsky reaction succeeded.
Return to Russia and Later Career
Upon returning from Europe, Reformatsky defended his doctoral dissertation brilliantly at Warsaw University in 1890. In 1891, he was appointed professor at Kyiv University and the Kyiv Higher Women's Courses. In 1892, he studied the reduction of tertiary alcohols to hydrocarbons. From 1931 to 1934, he conducted research on the production of natural rubber from plants.
Reformatsky served twice as chairman of the Physico-Chemical Society of Kyiv University (1910-1916 and 1920-1933). As the founder of the Kyiv school of organic chemists, he mentored many notable students, including Ya. I. Mikhaylenko, V. Yavorsky, E. Grishkevich-Trokhimovsky, and M. L. Zhdanovich.
Reformatsky wrote the influential textbook "Elementary Course in Organic Chemistry," which went through 17 editions from 1893 onwards. He also became a member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in 1928.
The Famous Duel
Sergei Reformatsky played a curious role in a famous duel between two professors at Kyiv University: V. P. Obraztsov and V. K. Lindeman. The dispute arose over Lindeman's wife, with whom Obraztsov was infatuated. The challenge took place at a university council meeting, which made an amicable resolution unlikely.
Due to Obraztsov's lack of marksmanship and Lindeman's prowess as a hunter, the outcome seemed predictable. However, Reformatsky's height of 215 cm allowed him to take large steps when pacing out the distance between the duelists, doubling it from the required 15 paces. Additionally, Lindeman's second replaced the bullets with wadding, resulting in a harmless outcome.
