It is with deep sorrow that we announce that on January 14, 2026, at the age of 91,
Professor Mieczysław Mąkosza passed away.
Professor Mieczysław Mąkosza was a long-standing Director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute, an outstanding scientist and mentor to many generations of chemists, a full member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and a multiple recipient of doctor honoris causa from Polish and international universities.
He was a world-renowned expert in the methodology of organic synthesis, the study of reaction mechanisms in organic chemistry, phase-transfer catalysis (PTC), and nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen in aromatic and heterocyclic compounds. His scientific achievements have left a lasting mark on the development of modern organic chemistry and have significantly influenced research directions pursued in numerous research centers worldwide.
Professor Mąkosza authored over 400 scientific publications, co-invented approximately 70 patents, and wrote two academic textbooks. In recognition of his outstanding scientific and organizational achievements, he received numerous prestigious awards and distinctions, including the Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science. In 2012, he established the Mieczysław Mąkosza Foundation for the Support of Young Scientists, actively fostering the development of future generations of researchers.
Professor Mąkosza supervised 50 PhD theses in chemistry, and many of his former students went on to become professors and leaders of research groups in Poland and abroad.
He will be remembered by colleagues, students, and the entire scientific community as an exceptional scholar, a demanding yet supportive teacher, and a devoted organizer of science deeply committed to the Institute.
We extend our deepest condolences to Professor Mąkosza’s family, friends, and colleagues.