Józef Zawadzki (chemist)


Józef Zawadzki was a Polish physical chemist and technologist. Father of Tadeusz and Anna Zawadzka.
Zawadzki was a co-founder, President and Vice-President of the Polskie Towarzystwo Chemiczne. He was a professor and rector of Warsaw University of Technology, and a member of the Polish Academy of Learning.
The oldest and largest traditional lecture hall at the Warsaw University of Technology is named Prof. Józef Zawadzki Auditorium.

Research

His main field of research was physicochemical fundamentals of chemical technology. He was researching contact oxidation of ammonia, naphthalene and anthracene, mechanism of ammonia oxidation on platinum at low temperatures, reduction of iron dioxide by a methane, methods of obtaining aluminium oxide from Polish kaolinite and aluminosilicate, use of Polish anhydrite and gypsum deposit to production sulfuric acid and cementum, kinematics of thermal dissociation.
Under the German occupation of Poland during World War II, he was involved in the clandestine operation of the Warsaw University of Technology. Together with Marceli Struszyński, Zawadzki analyzed captured German V-2 rocket for its fuel composition. In 1947, he was recognized with a Doctor Honoris Causa.

Mechanism of ammonia oxidation on platinum at low temperatures

The mechanism of ammonia oxidation on platinum at low temperature was postulated by F. Rachsig and later adapted by Zawadzki to proceed via formation on imide. In this proposal formation of nitroxyl and hydrazine is involved:
Later, Y. M. Fogel disproved the Zawadzki theory that NH is formed via the oxidation of ammonia. In his proposal, NO is an important intermediate of the reaction. The formation of N2O is not detected, therefore the mechanism does not involve its production.

Works