‎"LOMONOSOW (LOMONOSOV), MICHAELE (MIKHAIL). - THE DISCOVERY OF THE TRANSITION OF A METAL INTO PASSIVE STATE.‎
‎Dissertatio de Actione Menstruorum Chymicorum in Genere. (Considerations of the Action of chemical Solvents).‎

‎(Petropoli (St. Petersbourg), 1750). 4to. Uncut, without wrappers. Extracted from ""Novi Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae"", Tom. I. ad Annum 1747 et 1748. Pp. 245-266 a. 1 engraved plate (ad. p. 251). Clean and fine.‎

Reference : 42895

‎First appearance of a groundbreaking paper in chemistry in which Lomonosov describes his discovery of the transition of a metal into passive state, and this is the first scientific description of this phenomena. He observed and described fast termination of the dissolution of iron in concentrated nitric acid, and attributed this to a change in the solvent properties.""Lomonosov employed corpuscular mechanics in chemical explanations more extensively than Boyle had done. Treating chemical compounds as particles in adhesion, he held that ""adhesion is eliminated and renewed by means of motion.....since no change in a body can take place withouy motion"". He attempted to apply these theories to chemical phenomena - although he was limited to speculation- in papers on the action of chemical solvents in general..""(DSB VIII, p. 469).""Lomonosov was founder of Russian science, and he would be universally recognized as a great pioneer of science had he been born a West European. He was famous also for his literary works, including poems and dramas. In 1755 he wrote a Russian Grammar that reformed the language and in the same year he helped found the University of Moscow. In 1760 he published the first history of Russia.""(Isaac Asimov).‎