David Avnir

David Avnir was born in 1947 in a Displaced Persons hospital at the Benedictine archabbey of St. Ottilien, Germany.Photographs of Michaela Avnir, nee Steingarten, and her son David (born on June 12, 1947) in St. Ottilien http://dphospital-ottilien.org/babies/{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgxYlv7vsIU |title=Die Kinder der Stunde Null - Sankt Ottilien, München, Jerusalem {{!}} ARD-alpha Doku |date=2020-05-10 |last=Berk TV |access-date=2025-05-21 |via=YouTube}} In 1949 he immigrated to Israel and lived in Jerusalem for all of his childhood and later on for most of his adult life. Married to Dr. Yehudit Avnir (emeritus) of The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. They have two children and 4 grandchildren.

Prof. Avnir received his BSc., MSc (Prof. Israel Agranat), and PhD. (Prof. Jochanan Blum) in chemistry from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem during the years 1969–1977. His post-doctoral studies were with Prof. Paul de Mayo, in the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and with Prof. H. Morrison, at Purdue University, United States, during the years 1978–1979.

• Senior Chemist, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, (1979–1980)

All of the following positions, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:

• Lecturer, Institute of Chemistry, (1980–1983)
• Senior Lecturer, Institute of Chemistry, (1983–1985)
• Associate Professor, Institute of Chemistry, (1985–1988)
• Full Professor, Institute of Chemistry, (1988–2016)
• Professor Emeritus, Institute of Chemistry, (2016–present)
• Chairman, School of Chemistry, (1991–1994)
• Head of the Institute of Chemistry, (2007–2010)
• Head of the Graduate Authority in the Experimental Sciences, (2011–2015)

• Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Heterogeneous Chemistry Reviews.[https://www.researchgate.net/journal/1234-985X_Heterogeneous_Chemistry_Reviews Heterogeneous Chemistry Reviews] (1992–1997)
• Co-founder of Sol-Gel, Inc.{{Cite web |last=lsc-webmaster |date=2023-10-03 |title=Advancing Dermatological Innovation {{!}} Sol-Gel Technologies |url=https://www.sol-gel.com/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=www.sol-gel.com |language=en-US}} (1997)
• Co-Founder and chairman of the board, The International Sol-Gel Society.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-09 |title=International Sol-Gel Society |url=https://www.isgs.org/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |language=en-US}} (2003–2008)
• Scientific advisor and co-founder (2014) of the International Institute for "Solution Chemistry of Advanced Materials and Technologies" (SCAMT){{Cite web |title=Home {{!}} SCAMT |url=https://scamt.ifmo.ru/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=scamt.ifmo.ru}} at ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The sol-gel methodology allows the preparation of glasses and ceramics at room temperature. Avnir's conceptual idea has been to use this low-temperature polymerization process for the incorporation of organic and bioorganic molecules within ceramic materials. Traditionally this has been impossible for glasses and ceramics, because of the very high temperatures employed by these technologies. Following this general concept, the properties of ceramic materials could be altered to create a very wide range of previously unknown materials, by the ability to dope of glasses and ceramics with practically any of the ~40 million organic and bioorganic molecules known today. The many useful applications include materials for optics, reactive materials, bioactive materials, catalysts, sensors and functional aerogels.D. Avnir, D. Levy and R. Reisfeld, "The Nature of Silica Cage as Reflected by Spectral Changes and Enhanced Photostability of Trapped Rhodamine 6G", J. Phys. Chem., 88, 5956–5959 (1984). {{doi|10.1021/j150668a042}}D. Avnir, S. Braun, O. Lev and M. Ottolenghi, "Enzymes and Other Proteins Entrapped in Sol-Gel Materials", Chem. Mater., 6, 1605–1614 (1994).{{doi|10.1021/cm00046a008}}S. Braun, S. Rappoport, R. Zusman, D. Avnir and M. Ottolenghi, "Biochemically Active Sol-Gel Glasses: The Trapping of Enzymes", Materials Lett., 10, 1–5 (1990). {{doi|10.1016/j.matlet.2007.03.046}}D. Avnir, "Organic Chemistry Within Ceramic Matrices: Doped Sol-Gel Materials”, Acc. Chem Res., 28, 328–334 (1995). {{doi|10.1021/ar00056a002}}F. Gelman, J. Blum and D. Avnir, "Acids and Bases in One Pot while Avoiding their Mutual Destruction", Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 40, 3647–3649 (2001). {{doi|10.1002/1521-3773}}David Avnir, Thibaud Coradin, Ovadia Lev and Jacques Livage, "Recent bio-applications of sol-gel materials", J. Mater. Chem., 16, 1013 – 1030 (2006). {{doi|10.1039/b512706h}}Nir Ganonyan et al, “Entrapment of Enzymes in Silica Aerogels”, Materials Today, 33, 24 – 35 (2020), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2019.09.021

The family of doped metals was unknown until discovered and developed by Avnir in 2002. The methodology enables the incorporation and entrapment of organic molecules, polymers, bioactive molecules, enzymes and nanoparticles within metals, rendering a metal with unconventional properties such as acidity, luminescence, magnetism or bioactivity.H. Behar-Levy and D. Avnir, "Entrapment of organic molecules within metals: Dyes in silver”, Chem. Mater., 14, 1736 – 1741 (2002). {{doi|10.1021/cm011558o}}David Avnir, “Molecularly doped metals", Acc. Chem. Res., 47, 579–592 (2014). {{doi|10.1021/ar4001982}}Leora Shapiro and David Avnir, "Catalyst@metal hybrids in a one-pot multistep opposing oxidation and reduction reactions-sequence", ChemCatChem, 9, 816 – 823 (2017). {{doi|10.1002/cctc.201601386}}Jin He, Botao Ji, Somnath Koley, Uri Banin and David Avnir, "Metallic Conductive Luminescent Film", ACS Nano, 13, 10826−10834 (2019). {{doi|10.1021/acsnano.9b06021}}Yael Baruch-Shpigler and David Avnir, "Enzymes in a golden cage", Chem. Sci., 11, 3965–3977 (2020). DOI: 10.1039/c9sc05419g

The first focal point of this broad topic has been the formation of new chiral materials, that is, materials which can appear in both left- and right-handed forms.Sharon Marx and David Avnir, "The induction of chirality in sol-gel materials", Acc. Chem. Res., 40, 768 – 776 (2007). {{doi|10.1021|ar6000236}}Hanna Behar-Levy, Oara Neumann Ron Naaman and David Avnir, "Chirality induction in bulk gold and silver", Adv. Mater. 19, 1207–1211 (2007). {{doi|10.1002|adma.200601702}} The second, related focal point has been the quantification of geometric symmetry and chirality: Traditionally these have been treated in terms of "either-or", but not as continuous structural properties that can evolve gradually from zero to fully-blown.H. Zabrodsky and D. Avnir, "Continuous Symmetry Measures, IV: Chirality", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 117, 462–473 (1995). {{doi|10.1021/ja00106a053}}Inbal Tuvi-Arad and David Avnir, "Quantifying Asymmetry in Concerted Reactions: Solvents Effect on a Diels-Alder Cycloaddition”, J. Org. Chem., 76, 4973 – 4979 (2011). {{doi|10.1021/jo200648h}}Maayan Bonjack-Shterengartz and David Avnir, "The near-symmetry of proteins", Proteins, 83, 722–734 (2015). {{doi|10.1002/prot.24706}} The chirality/symmetry studies went also beyond chemistry, and have included computerized analysis of symmetry, studies of the bilateral symmetry of Lower Paleolithic hand axes,I. Saragusti, I. Sharon, O. Katzenelson and D. Avnir, "Quantitative analysis of the symmetry of artefacts: lower paleolithic handaxes”, J. Archeol. Sci., 25, 817–825 (1998). {{doi|10.1006/jasc.1997.0265}} and chirality in architecture.David Avnir and Dirk Huylebrouck, "On Left and Right: Chirality in Architecture”, Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics, 15, 171–182 (2013). {{doi|10.1007/s00004-013-0144-x}}

An ongoing major challenge has been the quantitative treatment of complex and irregular geometries in the context of the chemistry of materials and surfaces. A comprehensive solution for that problem was proposed by Avnir and his colleague Peter Pfeifer, by adapting fractal geometry to this challenge.{{Cite journal |doi=10.1063/1.446211 |title=Chemistry in noninteger dimensions between two and three. II. Fractal surfaces of adsorbents |date=1983 |last1=Avnir |first1=David |last2=Farin |first2=Dina |last3=Pfeifer |first3=Peter |journal=The Journal of Chemical Physics |volume=79 |issue=7 |pages=3566–3571 |bibcode=1983JChPh..79.3566A }}P. Pfeifer and D. Avnir, "Chemistry in Noninteger Dimensions Between Two and Three. I. Fractal Theory of Heterogeneous Surfaces", J. Chem. Phys., 79, 3558–3565 (1983); erratum, 80, 4573 (1984). {{doi|10.1021/j150668a042}}D. Avnir, D. Farin and P. Pfeifer, "Molecular Fractal Surfaces", Nature, 308, 261–263 (1984). {{doi|10.1038/308261a0}}D. Avnir, O. Biham, D. Lidar and O. Malcai, "Is the Geometry of Nature Fractal?", Science, 279 (5347), 39 – 40 (1998). {{doi|10.1126/science.279.5347.39}} Avnir's edited text-book The Fractal Approach to Heterogeneous Chemistry: Surfaces, Colloids, Polymers (Wiley, Chichester, 1992) became a major source in this field and was reprinted several times.Wiley, Chichester, The Fractal Approach to Heterogeneous Chemistry: Surfaces, Colloids, Polymers, David Avnir (ed.), 1992

This early work focused on the origin of patterns and structures which form as a result of reactions that solutions of chemicals undergo. Dissipative structures, as such structures are called, have been found for a wide array of different reactions.D. Avnir and M. Kagan, "Spatial Structures Generated by Chemical Reactions at Interfaces", Nature, 307, 717–720 (1984). {{doi|10.1038/307717a0}}D. Avnir and M.L. Kagan, "The Evolution of Chemical Patterns in Reactive Liquids, Driven by Hydrodynamic Instabilities", Chaos, 5, 589–601, (1995).{{doi|10.1063/1.166128}}

Recent activity includes also topics in astrochemistry and geochemistry, particularly chirality aspects. Examples include an analysis of potential chirality indicators of extraterrestrial life;David Avnir, “Critical review of chirality indicators of extraterrestrial life”, New Astronomy Rev. 92 101596 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2020.101596 a detailed analysis of the correlation between aqueous alteration of meteorites and the enantiomeric excess of amino acids found in them;David Avnir, “On the correlation between the enantiomeric excess of L-isovaline and the level of aqueous alteration in carbonaceous meteorites”, Front. Astron. Space Sci. 11:1427260 (2024). doi: 10.3389/fspas.2024.1427260 and a comprehensive review of chiral minerals.David Avnir, “Chiral minerals”, Minerals, 14, 995 (2024), 42 pages. https://doi.org/10.3390/min14100995

Kaye Award for Applied Research (1998), The First Mehrotra Foundation Lecture (1998), Award Lecture of the Div. of Colloid and Surface Chem. of the Chemical Society of Japan, (1998), The Kolthoff Award of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, (2004), The Benjamin H. Birstein Chair in Chemistry (2007),[https://chemistry.huji.ac.il/personal/emeriti The Benjamin H. Birstein Chair in Chemistry] Special issue of Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology, honoring Prof. Avnir (2009),{{cite journal | url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10971-009-1894-5 | doi=10.1007/s10971-009-1894-5 | title=David Avnir scientific achievements in the field of sol–gel materials | date=2009 | last1=Reisfeld | first1=Renata | journal=Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology | volume=50 | issue=2 | pages=127–129 }} Member of the Academia Europaea (2009),{{cite web|url=https://www.ae-info.org/ae/Member/Avnir_David|title=David Avnir|publisher=The Academy of Europe|accessdate=6 May 2020}} The Israel Chemical Society Prize (2011),{{cite web|url=https://www.isgs.org/community/prof-david-avnir/|title=Prof. David Avnir, awarded by the Israel Chemical Society Prize|date=21 September 2018|accessdate=6 May 2020}} Life-time Achievement Award of the International Sol-Gel Society (2013),{{cite journal|title=The 2013 Life Time Achievement Award of the International Sol–Gel Society awarded to Prof. David Avnir, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel|journal=Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology|volume=70|issue=2|pages=162–163|year=2014|doi=10.1007/s10971-014-3358-9|s2cid=195233426 |issn=0928-0707|eissn=1573-4846|oclc=704441918}} A collection of articles themed on "Hybrid Materials" dedicated to D. Avnir: Nanoscale, (2014), Fellow of the International Sol-Gel Society (2018), Distinguished Scientist, The Chinese Academy of Sciences (2018),{{cite news|url=https://chemistry.huji.ac.il/news/congratulations-david-avnir-being-elected-distinguished-scientist-2018-chinese|title=Prof. David Avnir is elected as a Distinguished Scientist by the Chinese Academy of Sciences|date=29 January 2018|accessdate=6 May 2020}} Israel Chemical Society Gold Medal (2024).

• [http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/avnir/ Prof. David Avnir's Website]
• [https://chemistry.huji.ac.il/people/david-avnir Prof. David Avnir at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Website]
• {{GoogleScholar|ecGssEwAAAAJ}}
• [https://patents.justia.com/inventor/david-avnir Prof. David Avnir's patents]
• [http://chem.ch.huji.ac.il/avnir/presentations.html David Avnir's conference lectures]

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Category:Living people

Category:1947 births

Category:Israeli chemists

Category:Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni

Category:Academic staff of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Category:German emigrants to Israel