International Arbuzovs Prize
International Arbuzovs Prize in the field of organophosphorus chemistry was established in 1997, on the eve of the 120th anniversary of academician Alexander Arbuzov, an outstanding Russian chemist and originator of a new chemical branch – chemistry of organophosphorus compounds.
According to the Regulations “About the international Arbuzovs Prize in the field of organophosphorus chemistry”:
“… The Arbuzovs Prize, established in memory of the outstanding Russian chemists Alexander and Boris Arbuzovs, is awarded to an honored chemist for a single scientific achievement or a set of scientific results. The Arbuzovs Prize is given by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan biennially on the birthday of academician Alexander Arbuzov personally to Russian or foreign scientist.”
Kazan and Kazan Chemical School have played a significant role in the history of science. Here, on the bank of the Volga river, in the city, where "the East meets the West", in the middle of the XIX century the scientific school was developed, that gave the world a group of researchers whose works are now a part of the "gold fund" of the world chemical science. Here K. Klause discovered a new element Ruthenium (Russian), N. Zinin performed the reduction of nitrobenzene into aniline, A. Butlerov laid the foundation of modern organic chemistry. In the XX century Alexander and Boris Arbuzovs became their successors.
The name of Alexander Arbuzov (1877-1968) is connected with the creation of a new chemicalfield: the chemistry of organophosphorus compounds.This field laid the foundation of the so-called "third chemistry", the chemistry of organoelement compounds. The reaction, discovered by Alexander Arbuzov and named after him, became the "main road" for the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds. Boris Arbuzov (1903-1991 ), his farther's successor, was also a world famous scientist. The scope of B.Arbuzov's scientific interests was extremely wide. The major fields of his research work were the chemistry of organophosphorus compounds, the chemistry of terpenes, the chemistry of unsaturated compounds, and the stereochemistry of organic substances. His greatest discoveries were made in the field of physiologically active compounds and tightly connected with studies of his predecessors: A. Butlerov, V. Markovnikov, A. Zaitzev, F. Flavitzki, and A. Arbuzov.
A. Arbuzov and B. Arbuzov were both the prominent chemists and the important public figures. Their role as the organizers of science in Kazan can not be overestimated.They headed Kazan Chemistry School for about a century, and almost all achievements in organic chemistry which were made in Kazan at that time are connected with their names.
