Chemistry International
Vol. 22, No. 1
January 2000
Reports
from IUPAC-Sponsored Symposia
International
Memorial K. I. Zamaraev Conference on Physical Methods for Catalytic
Research at the Molecular Level
28 June-2 July 1999
Novosibirsk, Russia
This conference was held at the Novosibirsk Scientific Center under
the auspices of the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis on the 60th anniversary
of the birth of Professor Kirill I. Zamaraev, who took an active part
in the work of IUPAC for many years until his untimely death in 1996.
Prof. Zamaraev was President of IUPAC from 1994 to 1995 and served as
Chairman of the IUPAC Physical Chemistry Division from 1987 to 1989.
He was also the Director of the Boreskov Institute from 1984 to 1995,
and he made considerable contributions to the establishment of relationships
between fundamental and applied areas of catalysis. Prof. Zamaraevís
comprehensive approach to the application of physical methods to catalytic
studies is inherent in the work of the Boreskov Institute in Novosibirsk
today.
Organizers of the conference, besides IUPAC, included the International
Association for the Promotion of Cooperation with Scientists from Independent
States of the Former Soviet Union (INTAS), the Russian Foundation for
Basic Research (RFBR), the Russian Mendeleev Chemical Society (Novosibirsk
Department, Russia), and the Russian Scientific Council on Catalysis
(Moscow, Russia). Almost 200 chemists, mostly from scientific research
centers and universities in Germany, France, the United States, the
United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Italy, China, Korea, Belgium, Japan,
Spain, Ireland, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Belarus,
attended the conference.
The scientific program included 12 invited plenary lectures, 12 keynote
lectures, 32 oral presentations, and 98 posters covering the following
topics:
- quantum-chemical studies on the electronic structure of active components
in catalysts, and molecular adsorption at active sites
- physical methods for surface science studies and studies of
adsorption processes
- experimental studies on the structure of active sites of heterogeneous
catalysts and on the elementary mechanisms of heterogeneous catalytic
reactions
- experimental studies on elementary mechanisms of homogeneous
catalytic reactions
- development of new methods and approaches to in situ
catalytic studies
Studies of heterogeneous catalysis by various in situ methods
revealed a distinct difference between the state of catalysts in equilibrium
with the ambient environment and those in nonequilibrium conditions
with the reaction medium. This finding is of real interest to several
IUPAC commissions that are developing recommendations for application
of new methods of studies of chemically reactive systems. We will probably
soon need a correction of existing terminology or development of special
glossaries for describing very complicated nonequilibrium phenomena.
Of special interest to IUPACís analytical chemistry commissions
was the presenation of a largely new analytical method called "differential
dissolution", which aims to determine rapidly the phase composition
of complex multiphase solids without any reference samples. This method
appears to be very sensitive when coupled with modern atomic analyzers;
it is able to distinguish seven to eight different phases in a sample
of microgram weight.
Nineteen research projects funded by INTAS were discussed at the Scientific
INTAS session organized by the INTAS Secretariat to run simultaneously
with the conference. The conference also featured presentations by the
Boreskov Institute of Catalysis, IUPAC, and INTAS, and there was an
exhibition of analytical equipment sponsored by Shimadzu Europa GmbH.
Other conference activities included evenings of music and dance, excursions,
and a special sightseeing program for accompanying persons. A postconference
tour of the wonderful Altay Mountains also took place.
A book of abstracts of the conference manuscripts, edited by Prof.
V. N. Parmon and Prof. D. I. Kochubey, was published and distributed
to participants at the meeting. The main contributions will also be
published after the conference in a special issue of the Journal
of Molecular Catalysis.
Professor
V. N. Parmon
Conference Chairman and Institute Director
Mrs. L. Ya. Startseva, Conference Secretary
Boreskov Institute of Catalysis
Novosibirsk, Russia