After a long illness, Professor J . F . Llopis, Head of the Electrochemistry and Surface Chemistry Department and Acting Director of the Institute of Physical Chemistry "Rocasolano" (Madrid), died on 6th June, 1972 .
Prof. Llopis scientific interest ranged from electrochemistry to surface chemistry and biochemistry. He carried out his Ph .D . work in electrochemistry under the direction of Prof. A . Rfus and received his doctor's degree from the University of Madrid in 1945 . He worked with Dr. J . N . Agar during the academic year 1946-47 in the Physical Chemistry Department of the University of Cambridge . Later, he spent the period 1952-53 in research on surface chemistry as a Ramsay scholar in the King's College of the University of London under the guidance of Prof . Sir Eric Rideal . He was member of the former CITCE (now the International Society of Electrochemistry), in the activities and meetings of which he took a very active part .
The first contributions of Prof . Llopis to electrochemistry were the development of the streaming mercury electrode and its application to electrochemical reactions [Proc . CITCE 8, 107 (1956)] and the application of impedance measurements to the electrolytic evolution of halogens [Electrochim . Acta 8, 163 (1963)] . Subsequently, his concern was focused on sutphidation of metallic surfaces by different organic compounds [Corros . Sci . 5, 319 (1965)) and, mainly, on corrosion and passivation of platinum metals [Catalysis Rev . 2, 161 (1968)], a study that he planned to continue .
In the surface and colloid chemistry field he worked mainly on monolayer of macromolecules, specially polyamionacids and proteins [Prat . Intern . Congress on Surface Activity, Plenary Lecture, Vol . III, 1 (1969)] and on surface potentials at liquid interfaces [Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry, Butterworths, London, No-6(1970)] .
Prof. Llopis was a very hard worker, as shown by his 120 and more original papers . He was open minded and very receptive to new ideas, sincere and helpful to all the people who had the opportunity to work with him .
His untimely death is very much regretted by all his pupils and means an important loss to the Spanish scientific community .