On 17 January 2024, Sergey Nikolaevich Dmitriev, professor, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Vice-Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, is celebrating his 70th birthday.

Professor Sergey Dmitriev is a distinguished scientist in the field of the chemistry of transuranium and superheavy elements, production and investigation of ultra-pure radioisotopes, study of the interaction of accelerated heavy ions with condensed matter. Sergey N. Dmitriev demonstrated to be not only a talented researcher, but also a prominent leader capable of successfully bringing large scientific projects to life.

Sergey N. Dmitriev has been working at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research since 1980. In 1997 he was elected the Deputy Director for Scientific Work of JINR’s Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions and served as the Director of the Laboratory from 2007 to 2020. In that time a great number of large-scale projects of global significance were implemented at FLNR. Sergey has been serving as the Vice-Director of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research since 2020.

Rich experience in studying the behaviour of trace amounts of chemical elements in various systems allowed Sergey N. Dmitriev in the 1980-1990s to formulate and solve the task of producing isotope ultra-pure samples of radionuclides at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for their use in biomedical, radiochemical, and ecological research. To this day the quality of samples is unbeaten.

Since 2000s, when the implementation of the programme on the synthesis of superheavy elements at heavy-ion accelerators began, the professor has headed research aimed at studying the physical and chemical properties of new elements. The results of pioneering experiments showed for the first time the manifestation of relativistic effects in the chemical properties of SHE. Experiments carried out in Dubna attracted much international attention and paved the way for a new research field – relativistic chemistry of superheavy elements.

Conducted by Sergey Dmitriev and his colleagues, experiments on the chemical identification of new elements provided an independent proof of their synthesis and became a weighty argument for justifying the claim of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research for the discovery of new elements of the Mendeleev’s periodic table with atomic numbers 114–118.

A series of unique experiments on the chemical identification and study of the properties of elements 112 through 114 were carried out under the guidance of Sergey Dmitriev. Further progress, including synthesis of new elements 119 and 120, is associated with the new accelerator complex, Superheavy Element Factory, constructed and commissioned in FLNR. Sergey N. Dmitriev was one of the leaders of the SHE Factory project.

The scientist’s scope of interests includes not only fundamental research, but also the possibilities of the practical use of scientific results. Sergey Dmitriev initiated the development of the Centre of Applied Nuclear Physics in the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions, where the physical and chemical processes of interaction are studied between heavy ions and polymer, amorphous, and crystalline materials, as well as metals. The key results of this research were the development of unique technologies and semi-industrial production of track membranes, micro-, and nanosized structures in the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions. These studies are of great scientific and applied significance and laid the foundation for the creation of the Interdisciplinary Centre of the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan), established under the supervision of Sergey N. Dmitriev.

Sergey N. Dmitriev is an active member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, a member of the editorial board of the Radiochemistry journal, an author and co-author of over 300 research papers and 25 patents. The works by Sergey Dmitriev won numerous first prizes at JINR competitions. He is a laureate of the Flerov International Prize (2007) and the V. G. Khlopin RAS Prize(2013). Moreover, Sergey N. Dmitriev was awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” II class (2012) and I class (2018).

To recognize his exceptional work, Sergey N. Dmitriev was awarded the Medal “In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow” in 1997; the honorary badge “Honoured Worker of Science and Technology of the Russian Federation” in 2006; a Letter of Appreciation from the Administration of the City of Dubna and the labour decoration “Veteran of Atomic Energy and Industry” in 2007; Certificate of Honour of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in 2016; the honorary title “Honorary Employee of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research” in 2019; the Medal “For Outstanding and Distinguished Service” of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in 2021.

Sergey N. Dmitriev celebrates his birthday at the height of his creativity, full of energy and plans to further efficiently develop our Institute.

The Directorate of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research congratulates Sergey N. on his 70th birthday and wishes him good health, success in his work, happiness, and prosperity!