Zbigniew Jedliński, a distinguished Polish chemist, member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, who set up the Silesian polymer school, was born on 8th October 1922 in Warsaw.
He began to study chemistry during the World War II. In 1949 he graduated from the Gdańsk University of Technology, where he began his scientific and teaching career and obtained his PhD in1956. In1959 he started teaching at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, where he initiated polymer studies. In 1960-1962 he was the Associate Dean, and later, in 1962-64 the Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry at the Silesian University of Technology. In 1964 he obtained the degree of Associate Professor and in 1971 the degree of Full Professor. In 1971 he was appointed a correspondent member a full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and in 1980.
Thanks to Professor Jedliński’s efforts the Polish Academy of Sciences founded the Centre of Scientific Research in Silesia. In 1968 the Institute of Polymer in Zabrze was founded. Professor Jedliński was appointed its director and remained at this post until 1998. At the same time he was directing the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers at the Silesian University of Technology. He was an adviser of 250 MSc theses and 42 doctorates.
The range of research led by Professor Jedliński was wide. His research on the synthesis and characterization of new thermostable polymers and composites were the subject of two monographs: “Advances in the Chemistry of Thermally Stable Polymers” and “Polymers Containing Naphthalene Units”. Another subject of his interest was the ionic ring opening polymerization of oxacyclic compounds.
In 1986 he became the coordinator of Central Research Project entitled “Composite polymeric materials and polymers with special properties”, a project which exercised a great influence on the development of polymer research and practice in Poland. Such materials were applied for the production of chemoresistant tanks and chemical equipment, and after modification, for manufacturing of minesweepers for the navy.
Professor Jedliński devoted the last years of his life to the research on biodegradable and bioresorbable polymers, mostly poly- and olig(3-hydro-xybutyrates) applied in regenerative medicine and also as drug carriers in a form of nanoparticles or conjugates.
He is the author of over 320 articles, mostly in international journals, in books and encyclopedias. With his research team he received the state award for his work in 1978 and 1986.
Professor Jedliński was also an editor of three monographs, a member of editorial boards of many international scientific journals, “Macromolecules” among others, and the editor-in-chief of “Polish Journal of Applied Chemistry”.
Professor Jedliński received honorary doctorates of Gdansk University of Technology and “Gh. Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, Romania. He also received many national and foreign awards: H. F. Mark Medal from the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Technology (1996), Gutenberg Medal from the University of Mainz (1981), Doebereiner Medal from the University of Jena (1985), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Gold Medal, among others. For his scientific achievements and service for the country he was awarded high national awards: Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Cross of Valor, Medal for the War of 1939, Polish Military Medal, Home Army Cross.
Professor Zbigniew Jedliński died on 6th June 2008 in Gliwice.
He remained active in the field of science until the end, and that is how we shall remember him. He left his mark on world science and he will remain in the appreciative memory of his coworkers and students.
