The CORE Secretariat is glad to announce that Academician Zhurinov Murat Zhurinovich, one of the leading researchers in the area of electrochemistry, successfully joined the Core Academy as a Fellow in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

Academician Zhurinovich is currently the President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan since 2003, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He was elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2019.

Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential differences and identifiable chemical change. These reactions involve electrons moving via an electronically conducting phase (typically an external electrical circuit, but not necessarily, as in electroless plating) between electrodes separated by an ionically conducting and electronically insulating electrolyte (or ionic species in a solution). When a chemical reaction is driven by an electrical potential difference, as in electrolysis, or if a potential difference results from a chemical reaction as in an electric battery or fuel cell, it is called an electrochemical reaction. Unlike in other chemical reactions, in electrochemical reactions electrons are not transferred directly between atoms, ions, or molecules, but via the aforementioned electronically-conducting circuit. This phenomenon is what distinguishes an electrochemical reaction from a conventional chemical reaction.

Murat Zhurinov was born on the 7th of December, 1941 in Arys, South Kazakhstan region, Kazakhstan. After graduating from the Kazakh chemical-technological Institute (now - South-Kazakhstan State University named after M. Auezov) M. Zhurinov worked as a teacher at KazCTI (1964-1966). Then he entered full-time postgraduate study at the Dmitry Mendeleev Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology, the University of Chemical Technology of Russia (1967-1970), and in January 1970 he defended his Candidate's dissertation. Then he worked as a senior lecturer, head of department, and dean in KazCTI (1970-1982). 

In 1981 he defended his doctoral thesis and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Sciences and the title of professor in Moscow. Since 1982 he worked as prorector of Karaganda State University, Director of the Institute of Organic Synthesis and Coal Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR (1985-1991), Rector of the Yassaui Turkestan State University (1991-1995), the Minister of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1995-1997), president of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after H.A. Yassaui (1997-2001).

（Karaganda State University）

In Kazakhstan, he created a new research direction to study the electrochemical properties of the different classes of organic compounds and the electrosynthesis of biologically active substances based on natural compounds. He researched on electrochemical behavior of different classes of organic compounds and developed new methods of electrochemical synthesis of known drugs, as well as new physiologically active substances. A deep and comprehensive approach to study the electrochemical properties of alkaloids on solid electrodes, also preparative electrosynthesis on their basis of new pharmacologically active substances by appending to molecules of the analyte of various functional groups (hydroxyl, methoxyl, ethoxyl, etc.) in combination with quantum-chemical calculations, mathematical optimization of processes and pharmacological control of received products of electrolysis allowed to solve many important theoretical and technological problems. For the first time it was established the mechanisms occurring at the same electrochemical reactions were with the use of modern current-voltage, spectral, and quantum-chemical research methods. The technology was carried out and the plant for electrosynthesis of target products (opianic acid, pachycarpine, derivatives of aphylline, salsoline, solasodine, etc.) was created.

Zhurinov developed technology for electrophoretic extraction of alkaloids and steroids from vegetable raw materials in a weak electrolyte solution. He successfully conducted pilot tests on the installation of the Shymkent Chemical-Pharmaceutical Plant (1979). New methods of obtaining and manufacturing technology of phosphide of copper, iron, and cobalt have also been developed which are of interest to the defense industry. Together with the students they created an original electrochemical method of producing ultrafine nanocrystalline metal powders, one of which (copper powder) was given the name of the authors (Baeshov-Zhurinov method, AS number 1441833, 1989). He was awarded the medal "Inventor of the USSR".

Under the guidance of academician Zhurinov, it was carried out the technology of sewage and wastewater treatment methods in a flow-through electrolyzer with flow lump electrodes representing a scrap with alternating currents of different frequencies. The methods of anodic dissolution of considered electrochemically insoluble metals -titanium, aluminum, etc. At the same time, it was discovered a new phenomenon - the post-electrolytic auto dissolution of these metals, ie, titanium (or other easily passivation) electrode continues to dissolve after switching off the anode of the power source. Such a process is found for the first time in the world (discovery).

Zhurinov developed original electrochemical methods of processing by-products and wastes of the phosphoric industry - ferrophosphorus and phosphorus sludge. it was developed and implemented in the production the technology of electrochemical dissolution of ferrophosphorus in industrial electrolyzers with bipolar electrodes. With that, it was obtained iron phosphate used in the rubber industry, as well as tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium, which are assessed as alloying elements in the production of stainless steel. He created highly industrial facilities for the continuous processing of phosphate sludge to yield pure phosphorus and copper phosphide. These methods have been patented in the United States, Germany, Britain, and other foreign countries. The individual results were implemented into production with a large economic effect.

Zhurinov is recognized by the world community as one of the leading scientists in the field of electrochemistry. He has published over 770 scientific papers published in domestic and foreign issues, including 20 monographs, and about 143 patents. His works have been patented in the United States, Britain, Japan and others. Under his supervision, there are 40 candidates and PhD-doctors, six doctors of sciences, three of whom are elected as members of NAS RK.

(Ahmet Yesevi University)

The largest contribution of M. Zhurinov to the development of the socio-economic sector of independent Kazakhstan is the creation and development of a major university in Turkestan. He was the first rector of the Yassavi Turkestan State University, opened by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev (1991). On his initiative, the university was transformed into the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after H.A. Yassavi, which currently is one of the leading universities of the country. Under his leadership in Turkestan, it was built modern campus. This has assisted the development of Turkestan.

Since 2003, as a result of alternative elections by secret ballot, he was elected as the president of NAS RK. During this time, the National Academy of sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, having risen on a new path of transition from the Soviet model to the Western European model of functioning of the academy of Sciences, was the first in the CIS to achieve recognition in the new status of the world scientific community, becoming a member of all major academic associations. Two of them elected M. Znurinov as president and vice-president (Union of National Academy of Sciences of the Turkic world and the AAS of OIC). This opens up opportunities for the cooperation of scientists with leading foreign scientific centers. Under his leadership, NAS RK prepares an annual National Report on Science and publishes it after approval of SSTC under the Government and the Administration of the President of Kazakhstan. NAS RK also publishes 8 academic journals (since 1946), which are delivered to the national library of 73 leading countries of the world and are included in the Elsevier Scopus database, being the most prestigious journals in Central Asia.

(union of National Academies of Sciences of the Turkic world, Image from Turkish Academy of Sciences)

In 2015 he was elected as the first president of the Union of National Academies of Sciences of the Turkic world, and the vice-president of the Association of Academies of Sciences of the OIC countries. He is a member of the National Council under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Supreme scientific-technical Commission under the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Board of the Ministry of Education and Science of RK, the chief editor of the "Reports of NAS RK" journal, member of the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO, a freelance adviser for science to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2011-2013), a member of the Coalition of democratic forces of Kazakhstan, member of the executive committee of the "Nur-Otan" party. He was awarded "Parasite" (2005), «Barys» of the III degree (2011), «Barys» of the II degrees (2016) orders and medals of the Republic of Kazakhstan. He is an honorary citizen of the South Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan, Arys, Turkestan, Kentau towns, and Louisville City, Kentucky (USA).

References

Core Academy Fellow Directory

The National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan

The Turkish Academy of Sciences