Alexandru Balaban

In addition, he was the head of the Laboratory of Isotopically Labelled Compounds of the Bucharest Institute of Atomic Physics from 1967 to 1974.

From 1967 to 1970, he was appointed as a Senior Research Officer at the Chemistry Division, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria, in charge with radiopharmaceuticals.

Balaban also developed new synthesis of oxazoles by AlCl3 catalyzed substitution of aromatic compounds with azlactones, followed by dehydration.

The first book about this interdisciplinary field was edited by Balaban and appeared in 1976: Chemical Applications of Graph Theory.

One area in which cubic (or trivalent) graphs play a dominant role is the enumeration of [n]annulene valence isomers (CH)n where n is an even number.

With two coauthors, Balaban published in 1986 on this topic a 3-volume monograph (Annulenes, Benzo-, Hetero-, Homo-Derivatives and Their Valence Isomers).

The graph-theoretical analysis of the simplest such reaction involves an ethyl cation with five substituents which undergoes an automerization.

Honoring invitations to contribute to special issues of journals dedicated to the philosophy of chemistry, Balaban published in Hyle an essay on how the "Sherlock Holmes principle" (if one eliminates the impossible, then whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must contain the truth) can be implemented by chemical graph theory which allows for instance to find all chemical isomers for a given formula.

In 2013 a special issue of International Journal of Chemical Modeling was dedicated to the half-century anniversary for this election.

Due to political circumstances, the promotion to titular member occurred only after the fall of the communist regime, in 1990.