Preface

Abstract

he got his Doctor Thesis devoted to the impedance theory of electrochemical reactions with the partial charge transfer and the electric noise of quasi equilibrium electrochemical systems. Since that time he has been involved in the supervision of the researches of his younger colleagues and has got a title of Professor of Electrochemistry and a title of Honoured Scientist of Russian Federation.He became one of the leading scientists of Institute. His role in the scientific life and administrative affairs was so large that after the death of Professor V.E. Kazarinov (successor of Professor A.N. Frumkin at the position of the Director of the Institute) Boris Grafov was appointed to the position of the Director of the A.N. Frumkin Institute of Electrochemistry 0022-0728/$ -see front matter Ó The scientific interests of B.M. Grafov are focused mainly on equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics of the electrochemical interface including the turbulent diffusion processes. He has shown that the heat of formation of the surface at the interface is considerably determined by the transported entropy of the particles constituting the surface layer. He derived an equation for the surface component of the buoyancy force. One of his basic results concerns the Shuttleworth equation for the surface tension of solid electrodes. He has shown that this equation is rigorous only for infinitesimal elastic deformations of the electrodes and has derived a new equation valid for finite values of electrode strain.A considerable contribution was made by B.M. Grafov to the theory of electrochemical impedance and adsorption. He has proved the existence of a direct relationship between the Onsager mutual relations and Gibbs adsorption equation.Important recent studies of Boris Grafov have been devoted to the problem of electrochemical noise. He has found that Faradaic rectification is an important factor that determines the level of non-linear electrochemical noise at the equilibrium and near the equilibrium. He has proved that asymmetry of thermodynamic fluctuations of the charge of electric double layer and electrode potential also considerably depends on the Faradaic rectification at equilibrium. A basic conclusion on the applicability of linear Langevin equation with non-linear source of random voltage or random current for the description of thermal non-linear electrochemical noise was made in the course of these studies.In 2005, Professor B.M. Grafov was appointed to a position of adviser of Russian Academy of Sciences. The colleagues and friends wish to Boris Grafov good health and further success in his studies.