Langmuir 1993,9, 3731
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0bituary Mikhail M. Dubinin January 1,1901, to July 13, 1993 Mikhail M. Dubinin was horn on January 1,1901,in Moscow, Russia, and died on July 13,1993,in his dacha inasuburbofMoacow. Hewastheeldestsoninthefamily of four brothers. Their childhood coincided with the turbulent times of First World War and Civil War in Russia. Mikhail Dubinin studied chemistry in the High Technical School in Moacow (now the Technical University). His first scientific adviser was Professor N. A. Shilov, a student of W. Ostwald and of the outstanding Russian chemist (inventor of a gas mask) N. D. Zelinskii. N. A. Shilov (1872-1930) made a considerable contribution in chemical reaction kinetics and proposed an equation of adsorption dynamics which bears his name. Dubinin graduated from the Technical High School at the age of 20. He started his professional career at the Russian Scientific Institute in Moscow and continued at the Military Academyof Chemical Protectionstartingin 1932. In 1936 Dubinin defended his second thesis (Doctor of Science, the highest scientific degree in Russia) and in 1943 he was elected as academician of the Academy of Science of the USSR (the highest scientific position in USSR) andreceivedthemilitarytitleofEngineer-General. In 1946his groupwas designated as Laboratory of Sorption Processes, a novelty in the history of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1923he spent ayearinBerlin where he becameaware of the ideas of Michael Polanyi. This work had great influence on the direction of Dubinin’s scientific activity. He developed and extended the potential theory of adsorption advanced by Polanyi in 1914. First, Dubinin developed the concept of the affinity coefficient in Polanyi’s characteristic curve which allowedthe evaluation of the isothermal of adsorption of an arbitrary substance on a given active carbon on the basis of the isotherm of one standard substance (benzene). This result had great practical importancebecause the development of defenses against poison gas was very topical at those times. To develop that defense it was necessary to study isotherms of adsorption of poison gases on various active carbons. Dubinin found a way to avoid this dangerous work by measuring the isotherms of less harmful substances. In 1947 Dubinin together with L. Radushkevich propodtheadsorptionequationthatbearstheirnames (DR). This equation incorporates the basic principles of the potential theory, includes the notion of the affinity coefficient developed by Dubinin earlier, and presents Polanyi’s characteristic curve in analytical form. The DR equation proved to heverysuccessfulindescribingphysical adsorption on heterogeneoussurfaces, especiallyon active
0743-7463/93/2409-3731$04.00/0
carbons. On the basis of the DR equation, Dubinin and his eo-workers developed the theory of volume filling of micropores. This theory made considerable contribution in classification of microporous adsorbents and in understanding the differences between physical adsorption on porous and nonporous adsorbents. Mikhail Dubinin made substantial contributions in various areas of adsorption science. Many of his works were devoted to adsorption kinetics and dynamics-an interest inherited from his teacher N. A. Shilov. He also made many applied researches in adsorption such as developing active carbons. Mikhail Dubinin had three daughters, Elena (a physicist), Irina (a biochemist), and Natasha (a geologist),and six grandchildren, Alexei, Dimitri, Mikhail, and Natasha, who work at Moscow University, and Elena and Peter, who work a t the Academy of Sciences. Seven greatgrandchildren also survive.
Y.Eltekov and V. Bakaevt Institute of Physical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences t
Preaent address: Department of Chemiatry. The Pennsylvania
State University. 152 Davey Laboratory, University Park.PA 16802.
0 1993 American Chemical Society
