History of SSI “Institute for Single Crystals”

Construction of one of the buildings SSI ISC

Construction of one of the buildings
STC “Institute for Single Crystals”
M.G. Semenenko S.E.Kovalyov

M.G. Semenenko – Director of the Institute

S.E.Kovalyov - General Director Research-and-production Association "Monocrystalreaktyv" until 1985 year

V.P.Semynozhenko

Academician NAS of Ukraine V.P.Semynozhenko – General Director STC “Institute for Single Crystals”

In the 1950’s a number of important branches of national economy of the USSR, first of all the military industry, were in dire need of inorganic and scintillation materials as well as extra pure chemical substances. The development and application of industrial output of such materials were the main goal of the new Institution – Kharkiv branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Chemical Reagents (ICR) with the Ministry of Chemical Industry founded on February 6, 1955. M.G. Semenenko was the first Director of the Institute.

In just 5 years the branch was transformed into the All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Single Crystals, Scintillation Materials and Extra Pure Chemical Reagents with the Ministry of Chemical Industry of the USSR. V.M. Izvekov was the first Director of the new Institution.

In 1975 on the basis of the Institute there was established the Research-and-production Association "Monocrystalreaktyv". By then the Association has already evolved into the leading Scientific Institution in the field of material science. S.E.Kovalyov held the position of the Director General of Association up to 1985.

Those days developed technologies were widely applied on the industry plants of the country. There were mastering the growing techniques of wide range of scintillation and electrooptic water-soluble crystals, plastic and liquid scintillators, luminescents liquids for defectoscopy etc. Special attention was paid to the studies in the field of material science, Physics and Chemistry.

In the 1985 the V.P.Semynozhenko became the Head of the Research-and-production Association "Monocrystalreaktyv". In 1991, for his initiative the Association was placed under the authority of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and on its basis the Scientific and Technological Corporation "Institute for Single Crystals" was established. Integration of the Institution into the NASU system contributed to save its scientific potential in hard 1990’s as well as to increase sufficiently the activity in carrying out the fundamental researches and development of new science intensive technologies and production.

Today the STC “Institute for Single Crystals” is the State Scientific Institution consisting of three strong Academic Institutions:

  • Institute for Single Crystals;
  • Institute for Scintillation Materials;
  • Division of Functional Materials Chemistry,

being of the leading ones in the field of functional material science.
Also the SSI “ISC” includes the Institutions for application of scientific-technical products for their further industry usage:

  • State Enterprise “Scientific-research Institute of Microdevices”;
  • Scientific and Technical Center of Immunobiotechnology;
  • State Enterprise "Plant for Chemical Reagents".

The existing structure of the Complex allows to use the scientific and technical potential in a most efficient manner, carry out multidisciplinary studies, obtain important fundamental results and develop such fields of Science as microelectronics, nanotechnology, laser and scintillation crystals, study of crystal growth processes, scintillation material science, new diagnostics techniques of diseases, medical instrument engineering etc.

The recognition of top-notch qualification of our scientists is manifested through their membership in the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other honorary and scientific degrees. Our staff includes three fellow members (academicians) and one associate member (correspondent-member) of the NASU. Our scientists have successfully defended 300 PhD and over 40 doctorate (DSc) theses.

During the years of Complex existence the scientific achievements of our scientists were 7 times honored by the State Prize of Ukraine in the field of science and techniques as well as by a number of other Prizes and Awards.

According to the Complex’s main scientific trends of activity there are being solved the fundamental and application problems conducted with the goal seeking and development of new multipurpose functional materials. Several strong scientific schools of luminophors and dyes (Prof. B.M.Krovistkij), analytical chemistry of functional materials (Prof. A.B.Blank) as well as modern fields of material science as non-equilibrium phenomena in solid states and semi-conductor material science (Academician, Prof. V.P.Semynozhenko), scintillation material science (Academician B.V.Grynyov), laser and non-linear optic single crystals (Academician V.M.Puzikov) and optic nanocrystal materials (correspondent-member O.V.Tolmachov) promote the successful activity of SSI “Institute fro Single Crystals”.