[2] Frumkin was born in Kishinev, in the Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Moldova) to a Jewish family; his father was an insurance salesman.

His family moved to Odessa, where he received his primary schooling; he continued his education in Strasbourg, and then at the University of Bern.

During the Second World War, Frumkin led a large team of scientists and engineers involved in defense issues.

[5] Alessandro Volta's question—a topic of discussion for over 120 years—about the nature of the EMF of electrochemical circuits was resolved using Frumkin's approach.

Several applied electrochemical processes, including ones related to chemical sources of electrical power, industrial electrolysis, and anti-corrosion protection, were successfully developed under Frumkin's supervision.