Irina Petrovna Beletskaya (Russian: Ири́на Петро́вна Беле́цкая; born 10 March 1933) is a Soviet and Russian professor of chemistry at Moscow State University. She specializes in organometallic chemistry and its application to problems in organic chemistry. She is best known for her studies on aromatic reaction mechanisms, as well as work on carbanion acidity and reactivity.[1] She developed some of the first methods for carbon-carbon bond formation using palladium or nickel catalysts, and extended these reactions to work in aqueous media. She also helped to open up the chemistry of organolanthanides.

Irina Beletskaya
Ирина Белецкая
Beletskaya in 2005
Born (1933-03-10) March 10, 1933 (age 91)
CitizenshipRussian
Alma materMoscow State University
Known forStudies on aromatic reaction mechanisms, palladium and nickel catalysed methods for C-C bond formation
AwardsLomonosov Prize (1974)

Demidov Prize (2003)

IUPAC 2013 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award (2013)
Scientific career
FieldsOrganometallic chemistry
InstitutionsMoscow State University

Academic career edit

Beletskaya was born in Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia) in 1933.[1] She graduated from the Department of Chemistry of Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1955 where she focused her undergraduate research on organoarsenic chemistry.[2] She obtained the Candidate of Chemistry (analogous to Ph.D.) degree in 1958.[3] For this degree she investigated electrophilic substitution reactions. More specifically, she explored the influence of ammonia on a-bromomercurophenylacetic acid reactions.[2] In 1963 she received her Dr.Sci. degree from the same institution.[4] In 1970 she became a Full Professor of Chemistry at Moscow State University,[5] where she currently serves as head of the Organoelement Chemistry Laboratory. Beletskaya was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Science of USSR in 1974. In 1992 she became a full member (academician) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.[1] Between 1991 and 1993 she served as president of the Division of Organic Chemistry of IUPAC.[1] Until 2001 she served on the IUPAC Committee on Chemical Weapons Destruction Technology (CWDT).[6] She is editor-in chief of the Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry.[7]

Beletskaya initially researched the reaction mechanisms of organic reactions, focusing on compounds with metal-carbon bonds.[2] Her research included Grignard-like reactions and lanthanide complexes in the context of catalysts. She and Prof. O. Reutov worked on electrophilic reactions at saturated carbon. She also investigated the reaction mechanisms of organometallic compounds. She also researched carbanion reactivity, emphasizing the reactivity and structure of ion pairs.[3]  Once more advanced in her career, Beltskaya focused more on transition metal catalysts and developing economically favorable catalysts. Currently, she serves as the head of the Laboratory of Organoelement Compounds within the Department of Chemistry at Moscow State University, where she has concentrated her research on carbon dioxide utilization and its utility in renewable energy and reactions with epoxides.[8]

Research Contributions edit

Beletskaya is known for her foundational contributions to organometallic chemistry and as one of the first prominent female chemists. Her work helped pave the way for women in Russia to participate in the scientific community.[9] Her pioneering role in organometallic synthesis has laid an essential foundation for future organic chemists. Her work advocating for rare-earth elements in organic chemistry led to the publication of many new textbooks, changing how organic chemistry is taught everywhere.[8] The current field of organic chemists does not always see the need to include other elements in the study of organic chemistry, as it is all carbon-based.[2] Beletskaya’s work helps to expand the use of precious metals in organic reactions.

External links edit

Publications edit

  • Protolysis mechanism of cis- and trans-β-chlorovinylmercury chlorides when acted upon by HCl and DCl [10]
  • Pd-Catalyzed amination of dibromobiphenyls in the synthesis of macrocycles comprising two biphenyl and two polyamine moieties[11]
  • The influence of the substituents in the electrofilic bimolecular reaction[12]
  • New trends in the cross-coupling and other catalytic reactions [13]

Honors and awards edit

Source:[14]

  • Lomonosov Prize, 1974.
  • Mendeleev Prize, 1979.
  • Nesmeyanov Prize, 1991.
  • Demidov Prize, 2003.
  • State Prize, 2004.
  • IUPAC 2013 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award, 2013.[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "A Tribute to Prof. Irina P. Beletskaya" (PDF). Arkivoc. 2008 (iv): 1–7. Jun 10, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Ananikov, Valentine; Gevorgyan, Vladimir; Moberg, Christina; Suginome, Michinori; Trzeciak, Anna (2023-09-25). "Irina Beletskaya: Chemistry Excellence in Scientific Endeavors". Organometallics. 42 (18): 2415–2425. doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.3c00352. ISSN 0276-7333.
  3. ^ a b Schantl, Joachim (2007-06-10). "A Tribute to Prof. Irina P. Beletskaya". Arkivoc. 2008 (4): 1–7. doi:10.3998/ark.5550190.0009.401. hdl:2027/spo.5550190.0009.401.
  4. ^ "Division of Organic Chemistry". Moscow State University. April 14, 2006. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  5. ^ Beletskaya, Irina; Tyurin, Vladimir S.; Tsivadze, Aslan Yu.; Guilard, Roger; Stern, Christine (2009-05-13). "Supramolecular Chemistry of Metalloporphyrins". Chemical Reviews. 109 (5): 1659–1713. doi:10.1021/cr800247a. ISSN 0009-2665. PMID 19301872.
  6. ^ Hargittai, Magdolna (2015-03-04). Women Scientists: Reflections, Challenges, and Breaking Boundaries. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199359998.
  7. ^ "Russian Journal of Organic Chemistry (Editorial Board)". springer.com. Retrieved 2016-04-19.
  8. ^ a b Shul’pin, Georgiy Borisovich; Adams, Richard D. (2018-07-15). "Biosketch for Irina P. Beletskaya". Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. Special Issue dedicated to Prof. Irina Beletskaya. 867: 2–3. doi:10.1016/j.jorganchem.2018.05.011. ISSN 0022-328X.
  9. ^ Beletskaya, I.P. (2016). "Is It Easy to Be a Woman in Science?". Chemistry - A European Journal. 22: 3531–3532.
  10. ^ Beletskaya, I. P., Karpov, V. I., Moskalenko, V. A., & Reutov, O. A. (1965). Protolysis mechanism of cis-and trans-β-chlorovinylmercury chlorides when acted upon by HCl and DCl. In Doklady Akademii Nauk (Vol. 162, No. 1, pp. 86-89). Russian Academy of Sciences.
  11. ^ Beletskaya, Irina Petrovna; Averin, Alexei D.; Uglov, Alexei N.; Buryak, Alexei K. (2011-01-30). Muthyala, Ramaiah (ed.). "Pd-catalyzed amination of dibromobiphenyls in the synthesis of macrocycles comprising two biphenyl and two polyamine moieties". Arkivoc. 2011 (8): 99–122. doi:10.3998/ark.5550190.0012.807. hdl:2027/spo.5550190.0012.807. ISSN 1551-7012.
  12. ^ Beletskaya, I. P., Fetisova, T. P., & Reutov, O. A. (1964). The influence of the substituents in the electrofilic bimolecular reaction. In Doklady Akademii Nauk (Vol. 155, No. 5, pp. 1095-1097). Russian Academy of Sciences.
  13. ^ Beletskaya, Irina; Averin, Alexei (2017). "New trends in the cross-coupling and other catalytic reactions". De Gruyter. 89 (10): 1413–1428.
  14. ^ "Biographies". New Trends in Cross-Coupling. Catalysis Series. 2014. pp. P021–P036. doi:10.1039/9781782620259-fp021. ISBN 978-1-84973-896-5.
  15. ^ http://www.degruyter.com/dg/viewarticle.fullcontentlink:pdfeventlink/$002fj$002fci.2013.35.issue-4$002fci.2013.35.4.19a$002fci.2013.35.4.19a.pdf/ci.2013.35.4.19a.pdf?t:ac=j$002fci.2013.35.issue-4$002fci.2013.35.4.19a$002fci.2013.35.4.19a.xml