Smirnov Mikhail Vladimirovich (1918-1998) — professor, Doctor of Science, outstanding scientist in the field of physical chemistry and electrochemistry, director and founder of the Electrochemistry Institute of UB RAS, head of the laboratory of molten electrolytes (1949-1987).
He determined the main research directions in the field of physical chemistry and electrochemistry of molten and solid electrolytes which have been successfully developed in the Institute departments nowadays. In 1992 the Institute was renamed as the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences.
In 1941 Smrinov graduated from chemistry department at the Ural State University, after that he worked as an engineer and a foreman at Pyshma Electrolytic Copper Plant during three years, since 1944 till the end of his life he worked at the Ural Branch of Academy of Sciences.
M.V. Smirnov proposed a program of fundamental studies in the field of physical chemistry and electrochemistry of molten salts. The basic attention was focused on complex systematic research of thermodynamic, volumetric, interphase, transport, thermophysical, acoustic, optical, and magnetic properties of molten salts and electrochemical behavior of various metals (alkaline, alkali-earth, beryllium, lanthanum, cerium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, molybdenum, chrome, iron, thorium, uranium, plutonium) as well as their compounds ( oxides, carbides, nitrides).
Many practical methods suggested by M.V. Smirnov are widely used in Russian science and abroad.
Based on performed systematic study of molten electrolytes properties he evaluated a number of new scientific postulates about structure and nature of ionic liquids, corrosion mechanisms, thermodynamics and kinetics of electrode processes in molten salts, currentless transport phenomenon which determine modern knowledge about the nature of high-temperature processes at electron conductor – electrolyte boundary.
M.V. Smirnov is the author of more than 700 articles; he got 27 author’s certificates for inventions. A part of the research accomplished together with his students is summarized in the monographs “Electrode potentials in molten chlorides” and “Viscosity of molten alkali halides and their binary mixtures”.
Mikhail Vladimirovich was also one of the founders and bright professor of physical-technical department of Ural State Technical University, successfully taught many highly professional specialists. 70 of his postgraduate students defended PhDs, and 15 of them became Doctors of Science and continue their research in different institutes and universities.
M.V. Smirnov was remarkably literate and talented person, naturalist and scientific philosopher, truly Russian intellectual searching for harmony not only in his professional work but also in other activities. He fluently spoke many European languages, was fond of classical music and astronomy.
M.V. Smirnov was a State Prize Winner and Honored worker of RSFSR in Science and Technology, was awarded with many governmental medals.
