Professor Alexander F. Pozharskii
A Tribute
Alexander F. Pozharskii was born in Rostov-on-Don on December 8, 1938. He performed his first research work (under the supervision of Professor A.M.Simonov) as a student at Rostov State University. The research dealt with benzimidazole chemistry and included the preparation of a series of 1-R-benzimidazoles, their sodamide amination and subsequent synthesis of 2- furfurylideneaminobenzimidazoles which were then tested for antibacterial activity (Scheme 1).
NNRNaNH2NNRNH2NNRNCHOXR=Pr,i-Pr,Bu,tert-Bu,C6H11,Phetc. X=Cl,Br,I,NO2OCHOX
Scheme 1
After graduating in 1961 he was recommended by the Faculty Scientific Council to continue research as a postgraduate student. In 1963 Alexander was awarded his Ph.D. degree and in 1964 took a position as assistant professor. In 1968-1969 he was a postdoctoral fellow in Professor A.R. Katritzky’s laboratory in the University of East Anglia where he studied the application of physical methods in organic chemistry. In 1972 he was awarded a Doctor of Science degree and in 1975 he was appointed full professor at Rostov University. From 1981 and until the present Prof. Pozharskii has served as head of the department of organic chemistry at Rostov University (Southern Federal University from 2006). He was a visiting professor at the Slovak Technical University, Antwerpen, Salford, Vilnius, Wroclaw, and Sczescin universities, the Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. Prof. A. F. Pozharskii’s research interests include heterocyclic and naphthalene chemistry, strong organic bases (“proton sponges”) and theoretical organic chemistry. His research interests also include the field of surfactants and biologically active heterocyclic compounds.
The systematic scientific carrier of Alexander began from the investigation into the classical (heterogeneous) version of the Chichibabin reaction which does not require the use of an external oxidant. For the first time amination of perimidines, benzoquinolines, numerous benzimidazole derivatives and several other condensed azines and azoles was achieved and various aspects of the kinetics of the reaction, including the relative activity of nitrogen heterocycles towards sodium amide were studied successfully. The suggested mechanism for the heterogeneous
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