Jaroslav Heyrovský

From early age keenly interested in nature, music, literature. At the Prague Academic secondary school professor J.Jeništa directed his attention toward mathematics, physics and astronomy. more

In the last days of war, still as soldier, he applied for PhD degree at Charles University. In course of the oral examination in physics professor B.Kučera invited the candidate to continue in studies of surface tension of mercury by the method introduced by Kučera at the beginning of the century. more

In 1926 Heyrovský became the first professor of physical chemistry at Charles University. He introduced a several term - course of lectures and practical classes of that subject and with his research students he continued the development of polarographic method. more

In order to accelerate the measurements with dropping mercury electrode Heyrovský with his Japanese coworker Masuzo Shikata constructed an automatic instrument which they called polarograph. The instrument slowly and continuously increased or decreased mutual polarity of the electrodes and at the same time recorded photographically the current passing through the solution and electrodes as function of voltage applied to the electrodes. more

In course of the second World War was polarography becoming one of the leading methods of analytical chemistry. It found applications in metallurgy, in chemical and farmaceutical industry, in medicine, in food industry, in geology and ore research, in study of transuranium elements and in other fields of human activities. more

At the beginning of third millennium various methods derived from the original Heyrovský's polarography are used all over the world. By their sensitivity and precision they belong to the leading methods of analytical chemistry among which they excel by their simplicity and financial accessibility. more