Prof. Christian Rüssel – Always One Step Ahead and in Search of Something New in Glass Science

Journal of ChemicalRuzha Technology Harizanova, and Metallurgy, Ivailo Gugov 50, 4, 2015, 345-356 PROF. CHRISTIAN RÜSSEL – ALWAYS ONE STEP AHEAD AND IN SEARCH OF SOMETHING NEW IN GLASS SCIENCE Ruzha Harizanova, Ivailo Gugov Department of Physics, Received 19 January 2015 University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Accepted 20 May 2015 8 Kl. Ohridski, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT The 18th Conference on Glass and Ceramics is dedicated to Prof. Christian Rüssel for his outstanding contributions to glass science and technology. Due to his close connections to Bulgarian scientists from Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy he was awarded the title Dr. h. c. of the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy on September 29th, 2014, while on October 7th, 2014 he received the Golden Band Honorary Medal “Prof. Marin Drinov” from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Christian Rüssel was born on the 1st of August, 1952 in Nürnberg. He obtained his diploma in Chemistry in 1980. He is married to his wife Angela, who is also an engineer in glass and ceramics. He has a daughter Kathrin and two grandchildren, Clara and Johann. Between 1980 and 1992 C. Rüssel gathered tremendous scientific experience by successively joining the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Erlangen University, the Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy, Freiburg and the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Materials Science, Erlangen. In 1992, he headed the Otto-Schott-Institut for Glass Chemistry, Jena where he organized four Otto Schott Colloquia. He was an active member of the management of the Friedrich Schiller University working as Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Geoscience (1996-1997) and Vice Rector of Research (2002-2004). His versatile investigations encompass novel and intriguing topics: electrochemistry of polyvalent metal ions in glass melts; energy storage; oriented glass-ceramics by extrusion or electrochemically induced nucleation; nano-sized glass ceramics and self-constraint crystallization; electron backscatter diffraction studies of surface crystallization of glass; high temperature spectroscopy of redox pairs in glass; synthesis of nanocrystalline glass ceramics of advanced thermo- mechanical and optical properties. Keywords: glass science, electrochemistry of metals, self-constraint crystallization, nanocrystalline glass ceramics. INTRODUCTION be paid to his carrier prior to and after arriving at Jena University and to his achievements in the field of the Prof. Christian Rüssel is to everybody who knows synthesis and study of numerous oxide and non-oxide him, even to those who have just a vague idea of his materials with advanced applications. His work and activities, a vigorous person and a scientist with sound personal life will be illustrated by numerous photographs judgement and profound knowledge of practically all and supported by materials from the Otto Schott Insti- topics of chemistry and physical chemistry of inorganic tute for Materials Research archives, provided with the materials. This paper will briefly review Christian Rüs- courtesy of his colleagues and co-workers, and from his sel’s personal and scientific life. Main attention will personal collection. 345 Journal of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 50, 4, 2015 EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY He left Erlangen University and joined the Fraun- hofer Society. He started working at the newly funded Christian Rüssel was born on the 1st of August, 1952 Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy in Freiburg. His in Nürnberg, Southern Germany as the younger son of an interests were in the field of energy storage, especially actor at the Nürnberg Theater, who later had a bookshop in electrochemical systems. He constructed fuel cells in Nürnberg (Fig. 1). His mother was an opera singer and redox batteries, especially those based on iron and until she retired 30 years later. He has a three years older chromium [1]. brother who succeeded his father’s bookshop. During this period of time he started working with industrial partners and the experience obtained was of tremendous importance for his future activity and suc- cess as a scientist and an administrator in Jena. After 15 months he left the Fraunhofer Society and went back to Erlangen University joining the Depart- ment of Glass and Ceramics of the Institute of Materials Science at the Faculty of Engineering. Shortly before that Prof. Helmut Schaeffer left the Institute to become the managing director of the Ger- man Glass Society and some of his projects remained unfinished. They were mainly focused on electrochemistry in glass melts, on zirconia sensors of oxygen activity and Fig. 1. Christian Rüssel in 1954. corrosion of metal electrodes in molten glass. Christian Rüssel grew up in Nürnberg, where he The new task faced by Christian Rüssel was to went to school from 1958 to 1971. Then he joined the combine his expertise in electrochemistry with the army and did an alternative civilian service until 1974. knowledge on glass and ceramics widely available at He started to study Chemistry and got his Diploma in the Institute of Materials Science in Erlangen. He suc- 1980. In between, he travelled a lot in oriental countries. ceeded in performing electrochemical measurements Nowadays, Christian Rüssel is married to his wife in glass melts applying square-wave voltammetry to Angela who is also an engineer in the field of glass and determine the diffusion coefficients of polyvalent ions ceramics. They have a daughter Kathrin, a granddaughter [3] in these media. Clara and a grandson Johann. In his leisure time Prof. Later, the method was also used for the quantitative Rüssel is collecting old furniture and carpets. If he has determination of their concentrations, even in case of some extra time, he rides his bicycle. the simultaneous presence of numerous polyvalent ions [4]. At this time, he also recorded the first stationary EDUCATION, CARRIER AND PROFESSIONAL current-potential curves referring to the corrosion of EXPERIENCE PRIOR TO JENA molybdenum electrodes in glass melts [5]. He also performed some work on ceramics, focus- In 1980, Christian Rüssel joined the Institute of ing predominantly on non-oxides chemical synthesis. Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at Erlangen Univer- During his work at the Institute of Materials Science sity where he performed some work in electrochemistry; in Erlangen he developed the only (nearly) universal he studied the kinetics of electron transfer. polymeric route for the synthesis of nitrides [6] and Prof. Walther Jaenicke was his advisor. It is worth fluorides [7]. Later he applied these routes to prepare noting that Christian Rüssel used Marcus theory to in- oxynitride [8] and fluoride glasses [9]. terpret his results. This happened some ten years before In 1991 he wrote and defended his second disserta- Marcus obtained his Nobel Prize and his theory was tion (Dr.-Ing. habil.) on the redox chemistry of glasses not widely known. He finished his PhD (Doctor rerum and glass melts and was appointed as Docent in Glass naturalium) in the spring of 1984. and Ceramics (Fig. 2). 346 Ruzha Harizanova, Ivailo Gugov Fig. 2. Prof. Christian Rüssel – habilitation ceremony. MOVING TO JENA TO INHERIT THE TRADI- TION OF SCHOTT, ABBE AND ZEISS In 1992 he was offered to head the Otto Schott Institute for Glass Chemistry at the Friedrich-Schiller- University Jena. He succeeded the famous glass scientist Werner Vogel, the Founder and Director of the Otto- Schott-Institut, who retired in 1990 (Fig. 3). Christian Rüssel was the first natural scientist appointed to Jena University after the German Unification. By the way, the advisor of Christian Rüssel’s Ph.D. thesis Walther Jaenicke was in Jena in 1948, while Werner Vogel was one of his students. Coming to the Otto-Schott-Institut, Prof. Rüssel inherited the institute’s tradition to work in the spirit of Otto Schott, Ernst Abbé and Carl Zeiss (Fig. 4), i.e. to carry out a team work with the participation Fig. 3. Prof. Werner Vogel and Prof. Rüssel at the days of Fig. 4. Otto Schott, Ernst Abbe and Karl Zeiss – inspiration the Otto-Schott-Institut in 2008. for cooperation among chemistry, technology and physics. 347 Journal of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 50, 4, 2015 of chemists, physicists, glass-technologists and indus- was the first homogeneous chemical reaction whose try. At that time Schott Glassworks in Jena, the main kinetics could directly be measured in a glass melt. cooperation partner of the Otto Schott Institute, was Surprisingly, its activation energy strongly depended on acquired by Schott Mainz, and hence lost its autonomy. the type of the polyvalent ion present. Christian Rüssel Christian Rüssel had to find new research partners and explained this fact, on the ground of the Marcus theory, to look for new financial sources as the contribution of with the reorganization energies, which were especially the University was continuously decreasing. This af- high in case of the coordination numbers’ change in the fected mainly the number of the employees supported course of the reaction [13]. This just closed the loop by the University and the funds required for the provi- bringing him back to his earliest contact with science. sion of state-of-the-art equipment. Nevertheless, due to Oriented crystallization from glass melts and the his effective network of industrial partners Prof. Rüssel EBSD method managed to find resources through public and private The preparation

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