Masuzo Shikata
Encyclopedia
Masuzo Shikata was a Japanese chemist and one of the pioneers in electrochemistry
. Together with his mentor and colleague, Czech
chemist and inventor Jaroslav Heyrovský
, he developed the first polarograph
, a type of electrochemical analyzing
machine, and co-authored the paper which introduced the machine and the name "polarograph". This machine was important because it automated the measurement of I-V curves (current-voltage curves) of solutions, which when done by hand could take over an hour for each test.
he learned of Jaroslav Heyrovský's research in electrochemistry, and joined his team in 1923. Shikata and Heyrovský built their first polarograph in 1924.
After being made Professor, Masuzo held the chair of Professor of Wood Chemistry in the Agricultural Chemistry department at Kyoto University
and was chair from the first establishment in 1927 of Kyoto University's Chemical Research Institute.
During World War II
he was dispatched to Manchuria
n China. When he returned in 1954, he was made Professor at Nagoya University
and he stayed there until he retired in 1959.
While living his retirement in Nagoya, he fell ill and went back to Kyoto
, where he died of an apoplectic, or hemorrhagic, stroke
.
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor , and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.If a chemical reaction is...
. Together with his mentor and colleague, Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
chemist and inventor Jaroslav Heyrovský
Jaroslav Heyrovský
Jaroslav Heyrovský was a Czech chemist and inventor. Heyrovský was the inventor of the polarographic method, father of the electroanalytical method, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1959...
, he developed the first polarograph
Polarography
Polarography is a subclass of voltammetry where the working electrode is a dropping mercury electrode or a static mercury drop electrode ., useful for its wide cathodic range and renewable surface...
, a type of electrochemical analyzing
Analytical chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials. Qualitative analysis gives an indication of the identity of the chemical species in the sample and quantitative analysis determines the amount of...
machine, and co-authored the paper which introduced the machine and the name "polarograph". This machine was important because it automated the measurement of I-V curves (current-voltage curves) of solutions, which when done by hand could take over an hour for each test.
Biography
After graduating from Department of Agricultural Chemistry at the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1920, Shikata gravitated towards electrochemistry and did further study at the Research Institute of Physics and Chemistry, also in Tokyo. He was able to study chemistry in Berlin under Professor Isidor Traube. While in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
he learned of Jaroslav Heyrovský's research in electrochemistry, and joined his team in 1923. Shikata and Heyrovský built their first polarograph in 1924.
After being made Professor, Masuzo held the chair of Professor of Wood Chemistry in the Agricultural Chemistry department at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
and was chair from the first establishment in 1927 of Kyoto University's Chemical Research Institute.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was dispatched to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
n China. When he returned in 1954, he was made Professor at Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
and he stayed there until he retired in 1959.
While living his retirement in Nagoya, he fell ill and went back to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, where he died of an apoplectic, or hemorrhagic, stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
.