A. V. Butin In memoriam
Alexander Valerianovich Butin
(18.05.1962–1.05.2015)
On May 1, 2015, Professor Alexander Valerianovich Butin, Deputy Editor of the journal "Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds", deceased suddenly at the age of 52.
Alexander Valerianovich was born in Astrakhan on May 18, 1962. In 1984, he graduated from Kuban State Technological University (Krasnodar) where he began his career as a researcher. Once having begun to study the chemistry of furans, Alexander Valerianovich devoted all his life to the chosen direction. Cheerful and optimistic, he channeled his enormous energy primarily into scientific work. In 1992, Alexander Valerianovich defended his Ph.D. thesis, and in 2002 his doctoral thesis entitled "Furyl(aryl)alkanes and their conversion products: synthesis, properties, and stereochemistry." From 2002 to 2011, Alexander Valerianovich headed the Research Institute of Heterocyclic Compound Chemistry of Kuban State Technological University. In 2011, he moved to Perm to continue his work as a professor at the Department of natural and biologically active compounds of Perm State University (PSU). Since 2013, he combined his work at the university with the work at the Institute of Technical Chemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Owing to his great personal charm, Alexander Valerianovich easily enticed both students and already established researchers to collaborate with him. His outstanding organizational skills allowed him to effectively organize work on the transformation of furans into other heterocyclic compounds in several cities simultaneously. At the University of Perm Alexander Valerianovich was the head of research in the field of synthetic methods for the preparation of biologically active compounds from furan derivatives, as well as the leader of the scientific direction "Development of methods of the directed synthesis and modification of complex organic molecules with physiological activity and other useful properties" of PSU. At the same time, he led research in Krasnodar and worked closely with colleagues from Chicago, Moscow, and Vladikavkaz. Nine young scientists received their Ph. D. under the leadership of Alexander Valerianovich.
The scientific activity of Alexander Valerianovich was closely associated with the journal "Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds". Since 1991, when "CHC" published his first article on the synthesis of difurylarylmethanes, Alexander Valerianovich has published 55 articles in "CHC". Since 2010 he was a member of the editorial board of the journal "Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds", and in 2014 he became Deputy Editor.
Alexander Valerianovich Butin was one of the world's leading experts in furan chemistry. He has authored over 100 articles and more than 20 patents. The publications of Alexander Valerianovich are actively quoted in top Russian and international journals. In 2014, "European Journal of Organic Chemistry" requested him to write a review of his own work and the work of other authors on transforming furans into azaheterocycles. Unfortunately, the issue with this review only came out already after the passing of Alexander Valerianovich.
In 2010, Alexander Valerianovich was awarded Professor A. N. Kost memorial diploma and ICF "Scientific partnership" golden badge for outstanding achievements in heterocyclic chemistry, whereas in 2011 he was honored by a personal acknowledgment for achievements in science and innovation from the governor of the Krasnodar Krai.
Until the last hours of his short but brilliant life Alexander Valerianovich conceived new plans, discussed new reactions and reagents for the implementation of these reactions with colleagues. Alexander Valerianovich was not only an outstanding scientist but also a wonderful person, a true friend and comrade.
The bright memory of Alexander Valerianovich will forever remain in the hearts of his colleagues and students.
A. E. Rubtsov,
Perm State University,
I. V. Trushkov,
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
