ISSN 1023�1935, Russian Journal of Electrochemistry, 2012, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 346–347. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2012.Original Russian Text © B.M. Grafov, Yu.A. Ermakov, L.I. Krishtalik, V.S. Markin, Yu.A. Pleskov, V.Yu. Filinovskii, 2012, published in Elektrokhimiya, 2012, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 380–382.

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The outstanding Russian scientist, correspondingmember of the Russian Academy of Sciences, YuriiAleksandrovich Chizmadzhev marked his 80th birth�day on December 15, 2011.

In 1956, he came to the Institute of Electrochem�istry of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a youngscientist who had just graduated from the MoscowInstitute of Engineering Physics. In the institute,Chizmadzhev immediately became engrossed in solv�ing various problems of physical chemistry and elec�trochemistry. This was favored by the creative atmo�sphere of the incipient theoretical group and also bythe attention and support from the correspondingmember of the Academy of Sciences of the USSRV.G. Levich and academician A.N. Frumkin. Even thevery first studies by Chizmadzhev, which were devotedto estimation of the yields of radiolysis products ofwater solutions and had been initiated by N.A. Bach,were the important contribution to the theory of waterradiolysis.

The further scientific interests of Yurii Aleksan�drovich were associated with different aspects of theo�retical electrochemistry (from the statistical theory ofelectrolytes and the quantum�mechanical theory ofcharge transfer at interfaces to the problems of corro�sion protection). He carried on solution of each scien�tific problem to concrete results and a wide discussionwith his colleagues, everything being done with inher�ent enthusiasm and deep understanding of the phe�nomenon. (The witnesses recollect with admirationthe long hot disputes with Chizmadzhev andR.R. Dogonadze on the problems of the charge trans�port in polar media and the quantum�mechanicalmodels of charge transfer across interfaces).

It should be noted that the creative activity of thetheoretical department which was founded in 1958 onthe initiative of A.N. Frumkin at the Institute of Elec�trochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the USSRmarked in fact a new stage in the development of elec�trochemistry as a science, the stage where the processin data accumulation was accompanied by their deepunderstanding and substantiation based on theachievements of modern physics. In this situation, thescientific approaches by Chizmadzhev proved to beextremely useful and fruitful.

Later, two topical directions were developed, whichembraced the main scientific interests of Chizmadzhevand where the uniqueness of his scientific approach wasmanifested and the results he obtained have received thewidest acknowledgement and recognition.

First of all, this concerns Chizmadzhev’s studies onfuel cells. Being initiated by Frumkin, this directionappeared as the result of the general interest in newpower sources which promised wide prospects for prac�tice. The studies carried out by Chismadzhev and agroup of young scientists he headed did go far beyondthe scopes of the fuel cell theoretical problem, havingsystemized the concepts on the structure and the elec�trochemical activity of porous electrodes, the physico�chemical activity of porous media, and the kinetics ofpropagation of electric signals in these media. Later,these studies formed the basis of the doctoral disserta�tion of Chizmadzhev (1967) and, being supplementedwith experimental data and the works by his colleagues,were published as a monograph (Yu.A. Chizmadzhev,V.S. Markin, M.R. Tarasevich, and Yu.G. Chirkov,Makrokinetika prostessov v poristykh sredakh (Macroki�netics of Processes in Porous Media), Moscow: Nauka,1971).

To the 80th Anniversary of Yurii Aleksandrovich ChizmadzhevDOI: 10.1134/S1023193512660020

CHRONICLE

RUSSIAN JOURNAL OF ELECTROCHEMISTRY Vol. 48 No. 3 2012

TO THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF YURII ALEKSANDROVICH CHIZMADZHEV 347

Being started in the late 1960s, the works by Chiz�madzhev reflected his interest in the problems of bio�physics which had emerged in the very beginning of hisscientific activities and were the natural extension ofhis studies on porous media. It is based on the data onthe behavior of media with complex (often nonlinear)electrochemical properties acquired by Chismadzhevand his coworkers (V.S. Markin, V.F. Pastushenko,S.Kh. Ait’yan, et al.) that the studies on the propaga�tion of excitation along nerve fibers and neuronic net�works, the properties of excitable media, and theinduced ionic transport had appeared.

The natural extension of the mentioned directionwere the studies on the ionic transport in biologicalmembranes. Developed under supervision of Chiz�madzhev, the original experimental methods for theanalysis of the electric potential distribution made itpossible to elucidate the mechanisms of ionic trans�port in membranes, particularly, involving active car�riers or along ionic channels. As a result of these stud�ies, the mechanism of action of antibiotics could beformulated. The main scientific results achieved inthese studies were summarized in two monographs ofwhich one was translated in English and published inthe USA. In 1986, these studies were distinguished bythe USSR State Premium. To develop them furtherand attract new, mostly young scientists, a special Lab�oratory of Bioelectrochemistry was founded at theInstitute of Electrochemistry of the Academy of Sci�ences of the USSR. Chizmadzhev is its permanenthead and the scientific inspirer.

In 1987, Chizmadzhev was elected as the corre�sponding member of the Academy of Sciences of theUSSR.

Among the prominent scientific achievements ofthe Laboratory of Bioelectrochemistry (and, first ofall, of its head), mention should be made of the inves�tigation of the electroportation phenomenon and thediscovery of the mechanism of fusion of lipid mem�branes. The former subject has to do with the appear�ance and the development of micropores formed asthe result of thermal fluctuations and the electric fieldaction, whereas the dynamics of biological mem�branes under the electric field action, which is accom�panied by complex restructuring processes, namely,the fusion of their lipid layers, the appearance of highlyconductive states, the formation of lipid pores, etc., isthe initial state of various biochemical processes. Par�ticularly, the views on the behavior of lipid layers ofbiomembranes, which were developed and experi�mentally confirmed by Chizmadzhev and its cowork�ers, served the basis for giving explanation to the pro�

cesses of fusion of cells, erythrocytes, the penetrationof viruses into cells, etc. The mentioned studies arebeing actively developed and attract keen attention ofRussian and foreign scientists, which promises newachievements and discoveries. .

The scientific activity of Chizmadzhev is matchedby his excellent pedagogical talent, his ability anddesire to attract young researches by his scientificideas. For many years, Yurii Aleksandrovich reads thecourses at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow StateUniversity and at the Moscow Engineering PhysicsInstitute. His lectures delivered at numerous Russianand international congresses and conferences attractkeen interest and are widely famous. For instance, theideas put forward in lectures “How a virus penetrates acell” have attracted wide attention and recognition.

Chizmadzhev should be given the credit of makingthe publications by outstanding foreign scientistsavailable to the Russian electrochemical community.This first of all concerns the monographs published inRussia under the editorship of Yurii Aleksandrovich,particularly, a monograph by J. Newman Electrochem�ical Systems (Moscow: Mir, 1977), books by famousauthors P Glandsdorff and I. Prigogine (the Nobel�prize winner) Thermodynamic Theory of Structure,Stability and Fluctuations (Moscow: Mir, 1973),G. Nicolis and I. Prigogine Self�organization in Non�equilibrium Systems (Moscow: Mir, 1979). The goodchoice of these translated publications should beemphasized—for a long time the latter remained theexcellent guide books on the problems under discus�sion and were widely used in teaching young scientists.The cooperation between the translators and one ofthe authors (I. Prigogine) favored the establishment ofscientific relations with foreign colleagues.

The scientific and organizational contributionsmade by Chizmadzhev into the development of bio�electrochemical studies are difficult to overestimate.Meanwhile, Yurii Aleksandrovich has trained a lot ofyoung scientists who now continue to work withenthusiasm all over the world. Many of his pupils arenow the heads of research groups at first�rate universi�ties of Europe and the USA.

Yurii Aleksandrovich meets his jubilee full of cre�ative energy and we wish him long years of active cre�ative life.

B.M. Grafov, Yu.A. Ermakov,L.I. Krishtalik, V.S. Markin,

Yu.A. Pleskov, and V.Yu. Filinovskii