chemistry

Silvia Braslavsky

Silvia Braslavsky is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Silvia Braslavsky rather than just read about it. In short: Silvia Elsa Braslavsky (born April 5, 1942 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine chemist. She is the daughter of educationist Berta Perelstein de Braslavsky and biochemist Lázaro Braslavsky, and the sister of Cecilia Braslavsky, educationist and erstwhile director of the International Bureau of Education of UNESCO.

Key takeaways

Silvia Braslavsky belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
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Reproduce the core statement of Silvia Braslavsky from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Silvia Elsa Braslavsky (born April 5, 1942 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine chemist. She is the daughter of educationist Berta Perelstein de Braslavsky and biochemist Lázaro Braslavsky, and the sister of Cecilia Braslavsky, educationist and erstwhile director of the International Bureau of Education of UNESCO. She has two daughters, sociologist Paula-Irene Villa Braslavsky and Carolina Klockow. Braslavsky has worked extensively in the domain of photobiology and she is a specialist in experimental photooptoacoustics. She was senior research scientist and Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Radiation Chemistry (now renamed Bioinorganic Chemistry) until her retirement in 2007.

Scientific career Braslavsky read chemistry at the University of Buenos Aires but left Argentina after the "night of the long batons". While being a research assistant in Santiago de Chile she defended her PhD at the University of Buenos Aires. Following temporary positions at Penn State University (1969-1972), the National University of Rio Cuarto, Argentina (1972-1975), again Penn State (1975) and the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada (1975), she moved to the Max Planck Institute for Radiation Chemistry in Mülheim, Germany (1976), where she stayed until her retirement in 2007.

Functions Braslavsky holds numerous official positions in the scientific field of chemistry. Since 2000 she is the chair of the IUPAC subcommittee on photochemistry. Since 2006 she is a corresponding member of CONICET and is a member of the international scientific advisory committee of INQUIMAE (Institute for Chemistry of Materials, Environment and Energy). Currently, she is chair and main organiser of the 16th International Conference on Photobiology, to be held in Cordoba, Argentina in 2014. Since 2010 she is a member of the representative panel of the RCAA (Red de Científicos Argentinos en Alemania, i.e. the Network of Argentine Scientists in Germany).

Honours and awards This is selection of her honours and awards:

1998 first women to be awarded the Research Award of the American Society for Photobiology. 2004 Elhuyar-Goldschmidt Prize of the Spanish and German chemical society. 2008 first woman to be awarded a Doctor Honoris Causa from the Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. 2011 “Raíces” Prize by the Minister of Science (MINCYT) in Argentina in recognition of her engagement for the scientific cooperation between Argentina and Germany. 2013 Honorary Professor at Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina and distinguished visiting professor Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina 2016 Dr. honoris causa Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2017 European Society of Photobiology, Medal “for outstanding and sustained contributions to the science and promotion of Photobiology”. 2019 International Union on Photobiology, Finsen Medal for “Lifetime Achievement in Photochemistry and Photosensory Biology” (Barcelona). 2019 International Photoacoustic and Photothermal Association (IPPA). Senior Prize (Moscow). 2020 Corresponding Member (Académica) of the Argentine National Academy of Sciences (ANC, Córdoba, Argentina). 2020-21 European Photochemical Association (EPA). “Photochemistry Ambassador” for “Service to the Photochemical Community”. International Congress on Photochemistry, Geneva, 2021. The EPA established the Award in 2018 to recognize outstanding service to the Photochemistry/Photophysical community. This prize is delivered every two years.

Partial bibliography "Time-Resolved Photothermal and Photoacoustic Methods Applied to Photoinduced Processes in Solution", S.E. Braslavsky, G.E. Heibel, Chem. Rev. 92, 1381-1410 (1992). doi: 10.1021/cr00014a007 "Effect of Solvent on the Radiative Decay of Singlet Molecular Oxygen a(1Δg)", R.D. Scurlock, S. Nonell, S.E. Braslavsky, P.R. Ogilby, J. Phys. Chem. 99, 3521-3526 (1995). doi: 10.1021/j100011a019 '"Glossary of Terms Used in Photochemistry'", 3rd Version (IUPAC Recommendations 2006), S.E.Braslavsky, Pure Appl. Chem. 79, 293-461 (2007). doi:10.1351/pac200779030293 '"Glossary of Terms Used in Photocatalysis and Radiation Catalysis'" (IUPAC recommendations 2011) S.E. Braslavsky, A.M. Braun, A.E. Cassano, A.V. Emeline, M.I. Litter, L. Palmisano, V.N. Parmon, N. Serpone, Pure Appl. Chem. 83, 931-1014 (2011). doi:10.1351/PAC-REC-09-09-36

References

External links Homepage at MPG Complete list of publications IUPAC Subcommittee on Photochemistry Homepage of 16th International Congress of Photobiology

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Silvia Braslavsky

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Silvia Braslavsky claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Silvia Braslavsky before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Silvia Braslavsky ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Silvia Braslavsky

In research: Silvia Braslavsky appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Silvia Braslavsky in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Silvia Braslavsky is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1942 births, 20th-century Argentine Jews, 20th-century Argentine scientists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Silvia Braslavsky outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Silvia Braslavsky in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Silvia Braslavsky means in your own words.
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Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Silvia Braslavsky in simple terms?

Why does Silvia Braslavsky matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Silvia Braslavsky?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Silvia Braslavsky.