Butlerov's contribution to chemistry is brief. Butlerov's contribution to the development of organic chemistry

The theory of the chemical structure of organic substances, which he studied for many years, himself and together with his students and followers, became revolutionary for that time. In his theory, the great chemist argued that the properties of organic compounds depend not only on the chemical elements and their amount, but also on the structure of the molecule, that is, on how the atoms are connected to each other. His theory explained the existence of isomers - compounds with the same chemical composition, but with a different structure or arrangement of atoms in space.

The correctness of any theory is tested in practice. The confirmation of the structural concept of the structure of organic substances by Butlerov was the receipt in 1863 of four isomers of butyl alcohol, one of which was synthesized directly by the scientist himself. In addition, on the basis of his theory, Butlerov predicted the existence, properties and behavior in chemical reactions of isobutylene, two butanes, and three pentanes.

Later, Alexander Mikhailovich discovered and explained the phenomenon of tautomerism of isomers, introducing the concept of dynamic isomerism into chemical science. Today, it is precisely Butlerov's tautomerism that is generally recognized and lies in the fact that some isomers can easily transform into each other, being in a mixture in an equilibrium ratio with each other.

Butlerov's theory quickly gained recognition in the international scientific community. The textbook outlining his theory, completed in 1866, was almost immediately translated into all the major languages of Europe.

In 1868, Butlerov was awarded the Lomonosov Prize and, on the recommendation of Mendeleev, he was elected professor of chemistry at St. Petersburg University. Mendeleev especially noted the originality of the works of the scientist, who developed his own ideas, and not the ideas of his predecessors, as well as the fact that Butlerov managed to create his own school of chemistry and have a noticeable influence on the development of not only Russian, but also world science.

To show what respect and authority Alexander Mikhailovich enjoyed, the following fact can be cited: when he was supposed to be retired due to seniority, the university council twice asked him to stay for another five years. The scientist gave his last lecture just a year before his death.

A.M.Butlerov's contribution to the development of domestic chemical science is impossible overestimate. He participated in the creation of Russian chemical schools for scientists in Kazan, Moscow and St. Petersburg, educated more than a dozen students who became prominent chemists, discovered many new chemical reactions and compounds, synthesized urotropine, trioxymethylene, ethylene and ethanol, tertiary alcohols, dinzobutylene and many other substances. important for science, industry and medicine. He was researching the phenomenon of polymerization. On the basis of his work, another famous Russian chemist, S.V. Lebedev, developed a method for the industrial synthesis of artificial rubber.

During his lifetime, Butlerov was elected an honorary member of many scientific societies in Russia and abroad. A crater on the moon is named in his honor; streets in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Kiev and other cities. Monuments have been erected to him in Kazan and Moscow. In Kazan, on the basis of the Faculty of Chemistry of the University, the Chemical Institute named after V.I. A.M.Butlerova.

Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich, whose short biography is found in almost all textbooks of chemistry, is a famous Russian chemist, the founder of the scientific school of organic chemistry, the founder of the theory of the structure of organic substances, who predicted and explained the isomerism of a large number of organic compounds and synthesized some of them (urotropine, a polymer of formaldehyde and NS.). Also, Alexander Mikhailovich, whose contribution to science was highly appreciated by D.I.Mendeleev, wrote works on beekeeping and agriculture.

Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich: short biography

The future scientist was born on September 15, 1828 in the family of a former military man, at that time a landowner. His father Mikhail Vasilyevich took part in the war of 1812, and after his retirement he lived with his family in the ancestral village of Butlerovka. Mom, Sofya Alexandrovna, died at the age of 19, immediately after the birth of the child. Alexander spent his childhood in Butlerovka and his grandfather's estate - the village of Podlesnaya Shantala, where he was raised by his aunts. At the age of 10, the boy was sent to a private boarding school, where he mastered French and German well. In 1842, after a terrible fire in Kazan, the boarding house was closed, and Sasha was transferred to the 1st Kazan gymnasium. In these educational institutions, Butlerov collected insects and plants, was very interested in chemistry and conducted his first experiments. The result of one of them was an explosion, and the punishment for Alexander for what he had done was imprisonment in a punishment cell with a plaque on his chest “The Great Chemist”.

Student years

In 1844, A.M.Butlerov, whose biography is imbued with love for chemistry, became a student at Kazan University, which was at that time the center of natural scientific research. At first, the young man was very interested in zoology and botany, but then his interest, under the influence of the lectures of K. K. Klaus and N. N. Zinin, spread to chemistry. On their own advice, the young man organized a home laboratory, but the topic of the candidate's, possibly due to Zinin's move to St. Petersburg, was butterflies.

After graduating from the University in 1849, Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov, for whom NI Lobachevsky and KK Klaus petitioned, devoted himself to teaching and lectured on physical geography, physics and chemistry. Moreover, Alexander Mikhailovich was an excellent orator, knowing how to completely hold the attention of the audience thanks to the clarity and severity of presentation. In addition to lectures within the walls of the university, Butlerov gave lectures available to the public. The Kazan public sometimes preferred these performances to fashionable theatrical performances. He received his master's degree in 1851, in the same year he married Glumilina Nadezhda Mikhailovna, the niece of Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov. After 3 years he defended his doctoral dissertation at Moscow University on the topic "On essential oils". After that, he was elected at Kazan University as an extraordinary, and a few years later as an ordinary professor of chemistry. From 1860 to 1863, against his own will, he twice acted as rector, and the rector's office fell on a rather difficult period in the history of the university: the Kurta memorial service and the Beznensk unrest that affected students and professors.

Trip to europe

Alexander Mikhailovich actively participated in the activities of the economic society of the city of Kazan, published articles on agriculture, botany and floriculture. The biography of Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov includes three trips abroad, the first of which took place in 1857-1858. The Russian scientist visited Europe, where he visited the enterprises of the chemical industry and got acquainted with the leading chemical laboratories. In one of them, in Paris, he worked for almost six months. In the same period, Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov listened to lectures by such outstanding European minds as A. Becquerel, E. Micherlich, J. Liebig, R. V. Bunsen, and made acquaintance with Friedrich August Kekule, a German chemist.

Upon his return to Kazan, A.M. Butlerov, whose biography is of interest not only in Russia, but also abroad, reequipped the chemical laboratory and continued research on methylene derivatives, begun at Würz. In 1858, the scientist discovered a new method for synthesizing methylene iodide and carried out a number of works related to the extraction of its derivatives. During the synthesis of methylene diacetate, a polymer of formaldehyde was obtained - the product of saponification of the investigated substance, the result of experiments on which was hexamethylenetetramine and methyleneate. Thus, Butlerov for the first time produced a complete synthesis of the sugary substance.

Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich: briefly about the achievements of the scientist

In 1861, Butlerov spoke in Speyer, at the Congress of German Physicians and Naturalists, with a lecture "On the chemical structure of matter", which was based on an acquaintance with the state of chemistry abroad, an irresistible interest in the fundamentals of chemistry from a theoretical point of view and his own experiments performed throughout his scientific activity. His theory, which included A. Cooper's ideas about the ability of A. Cooper to form chains of carbon atoms and A. Kekule's valence, assumed the chemical structure of molecules, by which the scientist understood the method of connecting atoms with each other, depending on a certain amount of chemical force (affinity) inherent in each atom.

Important aspects of Butlerov's theory

The Russian scientist established a close relationship between the structure and chemical properties of a complex organic compound, thereby explaining the isomerism of many of them, including three pentanes, two isomeric butanes, and various alcohols. Also, Butlerov's theory made it possible to predict possible chemical reversals and explain them.

Thus, in his theory, Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov:

showed the insufficiency of the theories of chemistry that existed at that time;
emphasized the overriding importance of the theory of atomicity;
defined the chemical structure as the distribution of the affinity forces belonging to atoms, as a result of which the atoms, influencing each other (mediocre or direct), combine into a chemical particle;
defined 8 rules for the formation of chemical compounds;
was the first to draw attention to the difference in the reactivity of dissimilar compounds, explained by the lower or higher energy with which atoms are combined, as well as the incomplete or complete consumption of affinity units in the formation of a bond.

Scientific successes of the Russian chemist

The biography of Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov is briefly described in school textbooks, with the dates of his life and his greatest achievements in scientific activity. The Russian scientist has a huge number of experiments aimed at confirming his theory. The scientist, having previously synthesized, determined the structure of tertiary butyl alcohol in 1864, isobutane in 1866, and isobutylene in 1867. I also learned the structure of a number of ethylene carbons and polymerized them.

In 1867-1868. Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich, whose short biography is of genuine interest to scientists all over the world, was appointed professor of chemistry at St. Petersburg University. Introducing him to the staff of this institution, Mendeleev emphasized the originality of Butlerov's teaching, which is not a continuation of someone else's work, but belongs to him personally.

In 1869, Butlerov finally settled in St. Petersburg, where he was elected an extraordinary, and then an ordinary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. The period of his life in St. Petersburg was very active: the professor continued his experiments, polished the theory of chemical structure, participated in the life of the public.

Hobbies in the life of a scientist

In 1873 he began studying the history of chemistry and lectured on this topic. He wrote the first manual in scientific history based on the theory of chemical structure - "Introduction to the complete study of organic chemistry." Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov is the founder of the school of Russian chemists, otherwise known as the “Butlerov school”. In parallel with the study of chemistry, he was actively interested in agriculture. In particular, he was interested in growing tea in the Caucasus, gardening and beekeeping. His brochures "How to drive bees" and "Bee, her life and the main rules of sensible beekeeping" were reprinted many times, and in 1886 he also founded the magazine "Russian beekeeping leaf".

In 1880-1883. Butlerov Alexander Mikhailovich, whose short biography is interesting and replete with discoveries important for science, was the president of the Russian Physics and Technology Community. In the same period, the scientist became very interested in spiritualism, which he met in the Aksakovs' estate in 1854. Later, the Russian chemist became close to his wife's cousin A.N. Aksakov, who published the journal on spiritualism Psychic Research, and ardently defended his hobby before his acquaintances and friends who condemned him.

The value of Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov's works for chemistry

Alexander Mikhailovich was to retire in 1875, after 25 years of service. The Council of St. Petersburg University twice postponed this period by 5 years. The last lecture by Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov took place on March 14, 1885. His health failed, undermined by intensive scientific work and social activities: unexpectedly for all, Butlerov died on his estate on August 5, 1886. The scientist was buried in the village cemetery of his native Butlerovka, now defunct, in the family chapel.

During his lifetime, Butlerov's works received worldwide recognition, his scientific school is considered an integral part of the development of chemistry in Russia, and the biography of Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov evokes a genuine interest of scientists and students. Alexander Mikhailovich himself was a very charming and versatile person with a sociable character, open-mindedness, good nature and a condescending attitude towards students.

There are people in the history of Russia about whom we know little. Moreover, almost everyone uses their finds and discoveries. Such a person was the apostle of rational beekeeping in Russia and the discoverer of isomers of organic molecules, Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov.

The biography of this man is not replete with tragedies, although it was not without them. A keen chemist, pioneering beekeeper and excellent hunter, he lived a short but eventful life.

Everything was a foregone conclusion

The scientist was born on September 15, 1828 in the family estate of the noblemen Butlerovka (Tatarstan). Father - Mikhail Vasilyevich - a hero of the war of 1812, who rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel, mother - Sofya Aleksandrovna Strelkova - died a few days after the birth of a boy at the age of 19. Sasha spent all his childhood in the estate of his maternal grandfather Podlesnaya Shantala. There, his own aunts, the Sergeevs-Shemaevs, were engaged in his upbringing. From the age of 8, the noble's son was sent to study at a private boarding house in Kazan. It was there that Butlerov's biography was predetermined. The boy was interested in the transformation of substances, and devoted all his free time to experiments. One such experience ended in an explosion, and as punishment, Alexander walked with a sign for several days "Great chemist". So the head of the boarding house Roland Topornin predicted the fate of the boy.

Becoming a chemist

After graduating from the boarding school and gymnasium, the minor Alexander enters the natural department of the university in Kazan. And he becomes a student in 1845. At that time, famous Russian chemists Karl Klaus and Nikolai Zinin taught there, whose lectures inspired him to create his own laboratory on the family estate. After graduating from the university, Butlerov's biography continues right there - he teaches physics and chemistry to students. The chemistry lectures of that time resembled performances, and many free listeners came to listen to Butlerov.

In 1851 he successfully passed the qualification exams, defended his master's work "On the oxidation of organic compounds", prepared to become a professor and married Nadezhda Gumilina, the niece of the writer S. Aksakov.

Professional growth

A successful marriage and the absence of material problems make it possible for a scientist to enthusiastically study the properties of organic compounds. In 1854, he defended his doctoral dissertation at Moscow University, received the title of ordinary professor of chemistry at his own educational institution, after which he twice became its rector.

But research interests him more. In the years 1857-1858, during his assignment, he appeared in the Paris Society of Chemists and met prominent chemists in Europe. Returning to his homeland, he wrote a textbook on organic chemistry (1864-1866). This is the first chemistry textbook to be translated first into German and then into other languages.

Innovative teacher

In 1868, the life of the Butlerov family changed. Biography of A.M. Butlerov continues in St. Petersburg. He was a laureate of the Lomonosov Prize and a professor of chemistry at St. Petersburg University. He will work here until 1885, will be an adjunct, an ordinary academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, his term of office as a professor will be extended twice.

Butlerov A.M. introduced a new practice into the student education system - laboratory workshops. This innovative technique, when students work with chemical equipment with their own hands, subsequently became ubiquitous and justified its purpose. The hallmark of this teacher was teaching by example - students could always see how and what their teacher was working on.

Theory of the structure of organic compounds Butlerov

It is the creation of a theory explaining the different states and properties of organic substances with the same molecular formulas that is his main achievement. For the first time, the Russian chemist Butlerov set forth the postulates of the theory in his work "On the chemical structure of matter", which he spoke about at the congress of German naturalists and doctors (Speyer, 1861). In the process of developing the theory, he was able to explain the existence of substances, the differences of which are determined not by the composition, but by the structure of molecules (isomers), and to predict undiscovered organic substances.

Butlerov's works received electronic confirmation only in the twentieth century, when the structure of the atom was discovered.

Not just chemistry

Butlerov's life and work were not limited to organic chemistry. He was a keen beekeeper and an avid hunter. In addition to his innovation in pedagogy, he took an active part in civil life. During his life in Kazan, he was a member of the zemstvo assembly and a deputy from the Spassky district for three years. He initiated the opening of zemstvo schools and public readings. He was interested in insurance issues and even became the organizer of mutual aid funds.

Much credit goes to A.M. Butlerov and in the installation of a water supply system in his hometown. He was a supporter of higher education for women, took part in the organization of the Higher Courses for Women (1878) and the opening of a chemical laboratory with them. His struggle for the recognition of the merits of Russian scientists brought a lot of trouble to the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg.

Beekeeping apostle

During his stay in Europe, the scientist studied the principles of beekeeping - his hobby. From a business trip, he brought two families of bees of the Italian breed and started breeding them. With the inquisitiveness of a scientist, he analyzed the advantages of frame hives over the primordially Russian hive-logs, and in every possible way contributed to innovations in peasant beekeeping. For this, he even opened a school for peasant beekeepers on his estate.

His short guide "A bee, her life and the main rules of sensible beekeeping" went through 11 editions. In 1882, on his initiative, a beekeeping department appeared at the All-Russian Exhibition in Moscow, and in 1886 the first Russian magazine "Russian Beekeeping Leaf" appeared. For his work in this area, Butlerov was awarded the Big Gold Medal of the Free Economic Society.

Mesmerism in the life of a scientist

The name of the scientist was no less famous in the field of popularization of mediumship, fashionable at that time. At the age of 14, he witnessed an event that left a deep mark on his mind. His aunt, who was suffering from a mental disorder, calmed down only when the invited doctor gave her mesmerism sessions. Hypnosis, or animal magnetism, was a prevalent new healing teaching. Throughout his life, the outstanding chemist was interested in this phenomenon and even charged the water himself.

Last years

After resigning from the post of professor at St. Petersburg University, where he gave his last lecture on March 14, 1885, the scientist completely devoted himself to his favorite hobbies - hunting and beekeeping - on his estate in Butlerovka. On one of the duck hunts, he twisted his leg, which provoked the separation of a blood clot.

The great chemist died at the age of 58 on August 5, 1886 at his beloved estate Butlerovka, where he was buried in the family crypt.

Summarizing

The life and work of Butlerov went pretty well. There was no persecution for ideas, hunger and hardships, tragedies and arrests in it. He lived a dignified life of a hereditary nobleman, a happy family man, a public and scientific figure. His achievements were recognized by the public, he had many talented students who spoke proudly of their teacher. In 1953, a monument to A.M. Butlerov. The chemistry department of his native university is named after him (Kazan, 2002). In honor of this outstanding Russian chemist, one of the craters on the Moon and a daytime butterfly (Butlerov's greenery) are named.

BUTLEROV, Alexander Mikhailovich

Russian chemist Alexander Mikhailovich Butlerov was born in Chistopol, Kazan province in the family of a landowner, a retired officer. Having lost his mother early, Butlerov was brought up in one of the private boarding schools in Kazan, then he studied at the Kazan gymnasium. At the age of sixteen, he entered the physics and mathematics department of Kazan University, which at that time was the center of natural science research in Russia. In the early years of his student days, Butlerov was fond of botany and zoology, but then, under the influence of the lectures of K. K. Klaus and N. N. Zinin, he became interested in chemistry and decided to devote himself to this science. In 1849, Butlerov graduated from the university and, at the suggestion of Klaus, remained at the department as a teacher. In 1851 he defended his master's thesis "On the oxidation of organic compounds", and in 1854 - his doctoral thesis "On essential oils". In 1854 Butlerov became an extraordinary, and in 1857 - an ordinary professor of chemistry at Kazan University.

During a trip abroad in 1857-1858. Butlerov got acquainted with many of the leading chemists of Europe, participated in the meetings of the newly organized Paris Chemical Society. In the laboratory of Sh. A. Wurtz, Butlerov began a series of experimental studies, which served as the basis for the theory of chemical structure. Its main provisions he formulated in a report "On the chemical structure of matter", read at the Congress of German naturalists and doctors in Speyer (September 1861). The foundations of this theory are formulated as follows: 1) “Assuming that each chemical atom is characterized by only a certain and limited amount of chemical force (affinity) with which it takes part in the formation of the body, I would call this chemical bond, or the method of interconnection atoms in a complex body "; 2) "... the chemical nature of a complex particle is determined by the nature of the elementary components, their number and chemical structure."

All other provisions of the classical theory of chemical structure are directly or indirectly related to these postulates. Butlerov outlines the way to determine the chemical structure and formulates the rules that can be followed in this case. He gives preference to synthetic reactions carried out under conditions when the radicals participating in them retain their chemical structure. Leaving open the question of the preferred form of formulas of chemical structure, Butlerov spoke about their meaning: "... when the general laws of the dependence of the chemical properties of bodies on their chemical structure become known, such a formula will be the expression of all these properties." At the same time, Butlerov was convinced that structural formulas cannot be just a conventional image of molecules, but should reflect their real structure. He emphasized that each molecule has a well-defined structure and cannot combine several such structures.

Of great importance for the formation of the theory of chemical structure was its experimental confirmation in the works of both Butlerov himself and his school. Butlerov foresaw and then proved the existence of positional and skeletal isomerism. Having received tertiary butyl alcohol, he was able to decipher its structure and proved (together with his students) the presence of isomers in it. In 1864, Butlerov predicted the existence of two butanes and three pentanes, and later isobutylene. He also suggested the existence of four valeric acids; the structure of the first three was determined in 1871 by E. Erlenmeyer, and the fourth was obtained by Butlerov himself in 1872. To carry the ideas of the theory of chemical structure through all organic chemistry, Butlerov published in 1864-1866. in Kazan the book "Introduction to the complete study of organic chemistry", 2nd ed. which came out already in 1867-1868. in German.

Butlerov's teaching activity lasted 35 years and took place in three higher educational institutions: Kazan and St. Petersburg universities and at the Higher Courses for Women (he took part in their organization in 1878). Many of his students worked under the leadership of Butlerov, among whom one can name V.V. Markovnikov, F.M. Flavitsky, A.M. Zaitsev (in Kazan), A.E. Favorsky, I.L. Butlerov became the founder of the famous Kazan ("Butlerov") school of organic chemists. Butlerov also read many popular lectures, mainly on chemical and technical topics.

In addition to chemistry, Butlerov paid a lot of attention to practical issues of agriculture, gardening, beekeeping, and later also breeding tea in the Caucasus. Since the late 1860s. Butlerov was actively interested in spiritualism and mediumship, to which he devoted several articles; This hobby of Butlerov and his attempts to give spiritualism a scientific basis became the reason for his polemic with Mendeleev. Died Butlerov in the village. Butlerovka of the Kazan province, not living up to the final recognition of her theory. Two of the most significant Russian chemists -



Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:	Chistopol, Kazan province, Russian Empire
Date of death:
A place of death:	Butlerovka, Kazan province, Russian Empire
	Russian empire
Scientific area:
Alma mater:	Kazan University
Notable students:	V. V. Markovnikov, A. N. Popov, A. M. Zaitsev, A. E. Favorsky, M. D. Lvov, I. L. Kondakov, E. E. Wagner, D. P. Konovalov, F. M. Flavitsky, A.A. Krakau, P.P. Rubtsov
Known as:	Creator of the theory of the chemical structure of organic substances, founder of the "Butlerov school"

Addresses in St. Petersburg

Scientific contribution

Pedagogical activities

Social activity

Essays

(3 (15) September 1828, Chistopol - 5 (17) August 1886, Butlerovka village, Alekseevsky district of Tatarstan) - Russian chemist, creator of the theory of chemical structure, founder of the “Butlerov school” of Russian chemists, beekeeper and lepidopterist, public figure.

Biography

Born into the family of a landowner, a retired officer - a participant in the Patriotic War of 1812. He received his primary education at a private boarding school, and then at a gymnasium in Kazan, in 1844-1849. student of Kazan University of the "category of natural sciences". From 1849 he was a lecturer, from 1854 he was extraordinary, and from 1857 he was an ordinary professor of chemistry at the same university. In 1860-1863 he was twice its rector. In 1868-1885 he was an ordinary professor of chemistry at St. Petersburg University. In 1885 he retired, but continued to give special courses of lectures at the university. In 1870 he was elected an associate, in 1871 an extraordinary, and in 1874 an ordinary academician of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1878-1882, N.N.Zinin's successor as chairman of the Department of Chemistry of the Russian Physicochemical Society. Honorary member of many other scientific societies in Russia and abroad.

While still a pupil of the boarding school, he began to take an interest in chemistry: together with his comrades, they tried to make either gunpowder or "sparklers". Once, when one of the experiments led to a violent explosion, the teacher severely punished him. For three days in a row, Sasha was taken out and put in a corner for the entire time while the others were having dinner. A black board was hung around his neck, on which was written "The Great Chemist." Subsequently, these words became prophetic. At Kazan University, Butlerov became interested in teaching chemistry, the professors of which were K. K. Klaus and N. N. Zinin. In 1852, after Klaus moved to the University of Dorpat, Butlerov headed the teaching of all chemistry at Kazan University. In 1851 Butlerov defended his master's thesis "On the oxidation of organic compounds", and in 1854 at Moscow University - his doctoral dissertation "On essential oils." During a trip abroad in 1857-1858, he became close with many prominent chemists, including F.A. Kekulé and E. Erlenmeyer, and spent about six months in Paris, actively participating in meetings of the newly organized Paris Chemical Society. In Paris, in the laboratory of Sh. A. Wurtz, Butlerov began the first cycle of experimental research. Having discovered a new method of obtaining methylene iodide, Butlerov obtained and investigated its numerous derivatives; first synthesized hexamethylenetetramine (urotropine) and formaldehyde polymer, which, when treated with lime water, passed into a sugary substance (containing, as was established by E. Fischer, a-acrose). According to Butlerov, this is the first complete synthesis of a sugar substance.

Addresses in St. Petersburg

1870 - 08/05/1886 - 8th line, 17, apt. 2.

Scientific contribution

Key ideas theories of chemical structure Butlerov first expressed in 1861. The main provisions of his theory, he outlined in a report "On the chemical structure of matter", read in the chemical section of the Congress of German naturalists and doctors in Speyer (September 1861). The foundations of this theory are formulated as follows:

"Assuming that each chemical atom has only a certain and limited amount of chemical force (affinity) with which it takes part in the formation of the body, I would call this chemical bond, or the method of interconnection of atoms in a complex body, by the chemical structure."
"... the chemical nature of a complex particle is determined by the nature of the elementary constituent parts, their number and chemical structure"

All other provisions of the classical theory of chemical structure are directly or indirectly related to this postulate. Butlerov outlines the way to determine the chemical structure and formulates the rules that can be followed in this case. He gives preference to synthetic reactions carried out under conditions when the radicals participating in them retain their chemical structure. However, Butlerov also foresees the possibility of regrouping, believing that subsequently "general laws" will be derived for these cases as well. Leaving open the question of the preferred form of formulas of chemical structure, Butlerov spoke about their meaning: "... when the general laws of the dependence of the chemical properties of bodies on their chemical structure become known, then such a formula will be an expression of all these properties" (ibid., Pp. 73-74 ).

Butlerov was the first to explain the phenomenon of isomerism by the fact that isomers are compounds with the same elemental composition, but different chemical structures. In turn, the dependence of the properties of isomers and organic compounds in general on their chemical structure is explained by the existence in them of a "mutual influence of atoms" transmitted along bonds, as a result of which atoms, depending on their structural environment, acquire different "chemical significance". By Butlerov himself and especially by his students V.V. Markovnikov and A.N. Popov, this general position was concretized in the form of numerous "rules". Already in the XX century. these rules, like the whole concept of the mutual influence of atoms, received an electronic interpretation.

Of great importance for the formation of the theory of chemical structure was its experimental confirmation in the works of both Butlerov himself and his school. He foresaw and then proved the existence of positional and skeletal isomerism. Having received tertiary butyl alcohol, he was able to decipher its structure and proved (together with his students) the presence of isomers in it. In 1864 Butlerov predicted the existence of two butanes and three pentanes, and later isobutylene. To carry the ideas of the theory of chemical structure through the whole of organic chemistry, Butlerov published in 1864-1866 in Kazan 3 issues of "Introduction to the complete study of organic chemistry", 2nd ed. which was published in 1867-1868 in German.

Butlerov was the first to begin a systematic study of polymerization on the basis of the theory of chemical structure, which was continued in Russia by his followers and culminated in the discovery by S.V. Lebedev of an industrial method for producing synthetic rubber.

Pedagogical activities

A huge achievement of Butlerov is the creation of the first Russian school of chemists. Even during his lifetime, Butlerov's students at Kazan University V.V. Markovnikov, A.N. Popov, A.M. Zaitsev took professorship at universities. The most famous of Butlerov's students at St. Petersburg University are A.E. Favorsky, M.D. Lvov, and I.L. Kondakov. At various times, trainees EE Wagner, DP Konovalov, FM Flavitsky, AI Bazarov, AA Krakau and other prominent Russian chemists worked in the Butlerov laboratory. A distinctive feature of Butlerov as a leader was that he taught by example - students could always observe for themselves what the professor was working on and how.

Social activity

Much effort was taken away from Butlerov's struggle for the recognition of the merits of Russian scientists by the Academy of Sciences. In 1882, in connection with the academic elections, Butlerov turned directly to public opinion, publishing in the Moscow newspaper Rus an accusatory article "Russian or just the Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg?"

Butlerov was a champion of higher education for women, participated in the organization of the Higher Courses for Women in 1878, and created the chemical laboratories of these courses. In Kazan and St. Petersburg, Butlerov gave many popular lectures, mainly on chemical and technical topics.

In addition to chemistry, Butlerov paid a lot of attention to practical issues of agriculture, gardening, beekeeping, and later also breeding tea in the Caucasus. He was the founder and, at first, the editor-in-chief of the "Russian Beekeeping List". As one of the organizers of the Russian Society for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants, he made a great contribution to the development of horticulture and beekeeping. The book “The Bee, Her Life and the Main Rules of Intelligent Beekeeping”, written by him, withstood more than 10 reprints before the revolution, and was also published in Soviet times. Since the late 1860s. showed interest in mediumship - spiritualism.

Memory

The memory of Butlerov was immortalized only under Soviet rule; an academic publication of his works was carried out.

In 1953, a monument to him was unveiled in front of the building of the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University.
There is Butlerov Street in Kazan.
In 1965, Butlerov Street appeared in Moscow.
There is Butlerova Street in St. Petersburg.
In Daugavpils (Latvia), in the Khimikov Settlement area, there is Butlerova Street.
In Kiev, in the area of the Khimvolokno Production Association (Darnitskaya industrial zone), there is Butlerova Street.
In the city of Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, there is Butlerov street

Essays

Introduction to the Complete Study of Organic Chemistry, v. 1-3, Kazan, 1864-1866;
Articles on beekeeping, St. Petersburg, 1891;
Selected works on organic chemistry, M., 1951 (biblical works on chemistry);
Works, t. 1-3, M., 1953-1958 (biblical works);
Scientific and teaching activities. Sat. documents, M., 1961.