Wojciech Alojzy Świętosławski (
Polish pronunciation: ; 1881–1968) was a Polish physical
chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...
, who is considered the "father of modern
thermochemistry
Thermochemistry is the study of the heat energy which is associated with chemical reactions and/or phase changes such as melting and boiling. A reaction may release or absorb energy, and a phase change may do the same. Thermochemistry focuses on ...
". He developed a static method of cryometric measurement and a new method of testing
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
. Świętosławski was vice-chairman of the
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...
(IUPAC) and created the foundations for a new branch of
physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...
: polyazeotropy. In 1933 he became a member of the
Temporary Advisory and Scientific Committee.
Early years
Świętosławski was born on 21 June 1881 in the village of Kiryjówka,
Volhynia Governorate,
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. He spent his early years in
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, where he graduated from high school (1899). In 1906, he graduated with an engineering degree at Chemistry Department of
Kiev Technical University. His first research paper, "Thermochemical Analysis of Organic Compounds" was published in 1908, in "Polish Yearly Magazine ("Rocznik Polski"). In appreciation of his work, Świętosławski was awarded the Mendeleyev Award by Russian Scientific Association. In the 1910s, Świętosławski went to
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, where he took a job at Chemical Laboratory of
Moscow University
Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, and six branches. Al ...
. In 1917 he completed his thesis, writing about
oxymes.
In the mid-, and late 1910, Świętosławski remained in Moscow, working, among others, on
Aromatic hydrocarbon
Aromatic compounds or arenes are organic compounds "with a chemistry typified by benzene" and "cyclically conjugated."
The word "aromatic" originates from the past grouping of molecules based on odor, before their general chemical properties were ...
,
Nitric acid
Nitric acid is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but samples tend to acquire a yellow cast over time due to decomposition into nitrogen oxide, oxides of nitrogen. Most com ...
,
Nitro compound
In organic chemistry, nitro compounds are organic compounds that contain one or more nitro functional groups (). The nitro group is one of the most common explosophores (functional group that makes a compound explosive) used globally. The nit ...
,
Amine
In chemistry, amines (, ) are organic compounds that contain carbon-nitrogen bonds. Amines are formed when one or more hydrogen atoms in ammonia are replaced by alkyl or aryl groups. The nitrogen atom in an amine possesses a lone pair of elec ...
, and burning in
bomb calorimeters.
Interwar Poland
In 1918 Świętosławski returned to Poland, leaving his laboratory in Moscow and urging other highly qualified Polish scientists to follow him. In 1919, he was named Professor of
Physical Chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...
at
Warsaw University of Technology
The Warsaw University of Technology () is one of the leading institutes of technology in Poland and one of the largest in Central Europe. It employs 2,453 teaching faculty, with 357 professors (including 145 titular professors). The student body ...
, and returned to scientific research, working on
enthalpy of vaporization
In thermodynamics, the enthalpy of vaporization (symbol ), also known as the (latent) heat of vaporization or heat of evaporation, is the amount of energy (enthalpy) that must be added to a liquid substance to transform a quantity of that sub ...
. In 1920, at the Conference of International Chemical Union in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, he made a motion to accept
benzoic acid
Benzoic acid () is a white (or colorless) solid organic compound with the formula , whose structure consists of a benzene ring () with a carboxyl () substituent. The benzoyl group is often abbreviated "Bz" (not to be confused with "Bn," which ...
as an international standard of marking the bomb calorimeters. In 1922, his motion was accepted, and Świętosławski was named head of the Thermochemical Data Commission, which coordinated research on marking the
heat of combustion
The heating value (or energy value or calorific value) of a substance, usually a fuel or food (see food energy), is the amount of heat released during the combustion of a specified amount of it.
The ''calorific value'' is the total energy relea ...
.
In the early 1920s, Świętosławski developed a new direction in the calorimetrical research, which he called microcalorimetry. He constructed microcalorimeters, which worked in isometric and adiabatic conditions as well as microcalomieters based on partial heat exchange with the surroundings. Due to his research, it became possible, among others, to mark the value of radiation of uranium aperture. Later on, he worked on measuring of
Vapor pressure
Vapor pressure or equilibrium vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phases (solid or liquid) at a given temperature in a closed system. The equilibrium vapor pressure is an indicat ...
and
boiling
Boiling or ebullition is the rapid phase transition from liquid to gas or vapor, vapour; the reverse of boiling is condensation. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, so that the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to ...
temperature. Furthermore, he constructed the
ebulliometer.
In 1928, Świętosławski was named deputy chairman of International Chemical Union. In 1934 he was appointed chairman of Commission of Physical-Chemical Data. At the same time, he held the post of dean of Warsaw University of Technology. He also was chairman of Polish Chemical Association (1925 - 1926), wrote for "Chemical Annual", was a member of
Warsaw Scientific Society
Warsaw Scientific Society (Polish: ''Towarzystwo Naukowe Warszawskie''; TNW) is a Polish scientific society based in Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city o ...
,
Polish Academy of Learning
The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning (, PAU), headquartered in Kraków and founded in 1872, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of sciences (the other being the Po ...
, Academy of Technical Sciences, and Temporary Advisory and Scientific Committee.
From November 1935 until 1939, Świętosławski was Minister of Religious Denominations and Public Enlightenment in the governments of
Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski and
Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski
Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski (; 9 June 1885, Gąbin – 31 August 1962 London) was a Polish physician, general, and politician who served as Ministry of Interior and Administration (Poland), Minister of Internal Affairs and as the 28th Prime Mi ...
. Also, in 1935 - 1939, he was a member of the Polish Senate.
World War II
After the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Świętosławski left Poland for the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, where he remained until the end of the war. He worked at the University of Pittsburgh, and was a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. He also wrote three monographies of Polish science in the English language, contributing to popularization of Polish scientific achievements in the USA.
After the War
In 1946 Świętosławski returned to Poland. He re-created Physical Chemistry Department at the Warsaw University, also returned to work at the Warsaw University of Technology. Upon the creation of
Polish Academy of Sciences
The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society of distinguished scholars a ...
he became the manager of Department of Physical Chemistry of Organic Raw Materials. Furthermore, he wrote several scientific papers, and continued working until 1960. Twice nominated to the
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
, he received a number of important Polish and international awards and was named doctor honoris causa of eight Polish universities.
Wojciech Świętosławski died in Warsaw on 29 April 1968 and was buried at the
Powązki Cemetery
Powązki Cemetery (; ), also known as Stare Powązki (), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of the oldest, having been established in 179 ...
in Warsaw.
In 2013, a monument dedicated to Świętosławski was officially unveiled at the
Kyiv Polytechnic Institute where he used to study.
See also
*
Ebulliometer
*
List of Polish chemists
*
Timeline of Polish science and technology
Notes
References
*''
Encyklopedia Polski
This is a list of encyclopedias by language.
Albanian
Encyclopedias written in Albanian.
* '' Albanian Encyclopedic Dictionary'' (): published by Academy of Sciences of Albania;
** First Edition (1985; ''FESH'')
** New Edition (2008/09; ''Botim ...
'', p. 680.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swietoslawski, Wojciech
1881 births
1968 deaths
People from Zhytomyr Oblast
People from Olgopolsky Uyezd
Senators of the Second Polish Republic (1935–1938)
Senators of the Second Polish Republic (1938–1939)
Polish physical chemists