Журнал "Макрогетероциклы"

Dear Reader!

This special issue of the journal “Macroheterocycles” is dedicated to Academician of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Professor Boris Dmitrievich Berezin – the founder of Ivanovo scientific school on porphyrins and phthalocyanines – on the occasion of his 80th birthday. It is difficult to overestimate the scientific contribution of Boris Dmitrievich in coordination chemistry of these extremely important classes of macroheterocycles and his services to organisation of their wide and systematic research.

The first scientific paper of B.D. Berezin appeared in 1954,^[1] when he was the undergraduate student at Ivanovo Institute of Chemical Technology. As a post-graduate student under the supervision of Professor K.B. Yatsimirsky he made a contribution to the development of the mercurimetry method.^[2,3] And already in 1959 he has published first results of his study of phthalocyanine complexes.^[4] Since then he has published more than 620 experimental papers and 44 reviews (mainly in the leading russian academic journals), most of them are on his research in porphyrin and phthalocyanine chemistry. Study of phthalocyanine complexes became the item of his dissertation for the Degree “Doctor of Chemical Sciences”.^[5] Professor Berezin is author of the scientific monograph “Coordination compounds of porphyrins and phthalocyanine”,^[6] co-author of the popular-science book “Metalloporphyrins”,^[7] and also of the monographs on solvate complexes of transition metals^[8] and dissociation reactions of coordination compounds.^[9] He was inspirer of publication of the 2-volume set on synthesis, structure, properties and application of porphyrins,^[10] and co-author of the several other collective monographs on phthalocyanines,^[11] porphyrins,^[12] problems of solution chemistry^[13] and biologically active compounds.^[14] He has also received 39 invention certificates and patents.

The front cover of this issue illustrates the fruitful activity of Boris Dmitrievich Berezin as a teacher of young scientists – the collage displayed on the cover is composed from photos of his PhD students – he has trained and supervised 70 Candidates of Chemical Sciences (see list below), among whom 13 have later accomplished their habilitation and received the Degree “Doctor of Chemical Sciences” (Dr.Sc.)

One should also mention the activity of Professor Berezin in organisation of the All-Union and International Conferences on chemistry of porphyrins and their analogues (see back cover of this issue). He was the chairmen of the Organising Committees during six of these conferences and also of the XIVth and XIXth Chugaev Conferences on coordination Chemistry (1981 and 1999), IIId Conference on Macrocycles (1988), Ist Conference on Biocoordination Chemistry (1994). Professor Berezin has also organised the All-Russian Seminar on Chemistry of Porphyrins and their Analogues (30 sessions since 1985).

Professor Berezin is a member of the Editorial board of our Journal “Macrohereocycles” and also of the Journal “Izvestia Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii. Khimiya i Khimicheskaya Technologiya”.

Professor Berezin gives also considerable attention to science-methodical work in order to improve teaching of chemistry. He is co-author of the book “Main Definitions (Laws) of Modern Chemistry”,^[15] and of the text-book “Course of Modern Organic Chemistry”.^[16]

This special issue of “Macroheterocycles” is opened by biographic review of versatile scientific activity of Professor Berezin and is composed from the reviews and experimental articles of his former students, who became now the leaders of independent research directions in chemistry of tetrapyrrole macroheterocycles. In each paper short information is given about academic carrier and achievments of the disciples of professor Berezin.