3-a Naukova St., 79053, Lviv, Ukraine

Phone: (0322) 63 5174; fax: (0322) 63 5174;
e-mail: vfh@org.lviv.net

Main research areas:

– kinetics and reactivity of intermediates in the processes of liquid-phase oxidization of hydrocarbons and their derivatives;

– kinetic patterns of linear and 3-d photoinitiated polymerization to high conversions and postpolymerization kinetics;

– studies of patterns of surfactants biosynthesis and investigation of their physical-and-chemical properties;

– development of principles of microbiological destruction of oil contaminations.

A scientific school of NAS academician R. V. Kucher has been set up, which continues to study oxidation of organic substances. The Department’s Director academician R.V.Kucher was awarded the 1993 State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology for a set of works in the field of reactivity and kinetics.

Researchers of the Department have studied kinetic patterns and determined constants of elementary reactions of free-radical liquid-phase oxidization of haloidolephines, silane-, oxygen- and nitrogen-containing organic compounds with molecular oxygen.

The statistics of self-avoiding random walks has been proposed. On its basis the thermodynamics of conformation and deformation of polymeric chain in solution has been described.

Adsorption of macromolecules has been derived, with account being taken of the free energy of their conformation.

Kinetic models of linear and 3-d polymerizations to high conversions have been worked out. Kinetics of dimethacrylates postpolymerization has been described using the stretched exponential law.

Methods of obtaining highly selective polymeric membranes, based on oligourethanes and oligoesteracrylates, have been proposed and patented.

Possibilities of using the photoinitiated polymerization method to obtain films with predetermined properties have been substantiated for the case when the selective layer is formed via polymerization.

New effective biological surfactants have been obtained and their physical-and-chemical properties studied. Prospects of the practical application of environment-friendly biological surfactants have been shown for oil-extraction process, agriculture, detergent production. Such biological surfactants intensify the processes of purification and restoration of soils after oil contaminations.

A new method of adhesive glueing of surfaces in non-oxygen medium, including that under water, based on postpolymerization effect has been proposed and patented.