Victor Gankin

Victor Gankin died on 30 March 2014 in Needham, MA.

Victor immigrated to the United States (Boston, MA) in 1991 and founded Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, ITC (Shrewsbury, MA), then Needham, Massachusetts in 1993. He served as the president of ITC from 1993–2014.

1988-1991 Victor discovered, investigated and fully developed the isoprene and dimethyl vinyl carbinol production via methyl butanediol while decreasing the manufacturing costs of both products by 24%.

1984-1988 Victor discovered, investigated and tested on a pilot scale the novel process of methylethyl ketone production from isobutyric aldehyde. Process obtains 2-ethylgexanol and methylethyl ketone from propylene by oxosynthesis without byproducts.

1980-1984 Victor discovered and investigated the novel process of high (>C15) normal dicarbonic acids production from unsaturated carbon acids.

1978-1980 Victor discovered and investigated the process of the styrol production from toluene while saving the methyl group in toluene. Patents: NN 4,192,961 (USA); 1,538,670 (UK).

1973-1978 Victor discovered, investigated and fully developed the isoprene production from formaldehyde and isobutylene via dimethyldioxane with full catalyst recycle.

1971-1974 Victor discovered, investigated and tested on a pilot scale of the novel process of α-branched acids production from olefines. Process allows to obtain individual α-acids higher than C9 able to form stable esters.

In 1970 received the title of Professor of Chemical Science and Technology.

1970-1972 Victor investigated and tested on a pilot scale the novel process of esters production by oxosynthesis using the cobalt catalyst modified by piridins. Process decreased the amount of byproducts by 50% and increased the yield of normal alcohols by 20%.

In 1969 Victor Gankin received a Dr. of Science degree in Technology of Organic Synthesis from the Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis (Moscow, Russia).

1966-1970 Victor led the discovery, investigation and full development of the oxosynthesis process of C4 aldehyde using novel naphtheno-evaporative scheme. Patents: NN 661,724 (Italy); 100,2691 (UK), 1,315,589 (France); 169,103; 178,814; 245,759 (USSR).

In 1964 Victor Gankin received a PhD in Organic Chemistry and Technology of Oxosynthesis Process from the Leningrad State University.

1963-1966 Victor led the discovery and laboratory investigation of 3-methylgexanol production from 2-methylpentene. Got patent 249,353 (USSR).

1959-1991 worked in Research Institute of Petrochemical Processes (Leningrad) as a chemist, then as a senior research scientist and in 1968-1991 as a principal scientist.

1959-1963 Victor led the discovery, investigation and full development of the oxosynthesis processes of C4 and C6-C8 aldehydes formation with low cobalt concentration (0.01%).

1953-1959 studied in Chemical-Pharmaceutical Institute, Leningrad (St. Petersburg), USSR.

Victor Yudkovich Gankin (Russian: Виктор Юдкович Ганкин, 8 December 1935 – 30 March 2014) was a Russian-American scientist and professor who greatly influenced the fields of organic and physical chemistry and industrial technology. He held a PhD and Doctor of Science distinction.