German chemist nabs prize for surface science on his 71st birthday

阿走

A Nobel Birthday SurpriseGerman chemist nabs prize for surface science on his 71st birthdayBethany HalfordGerhard Ertl certainly had cause to celebrate on his 71st birthday. Along with gifts and warm regards, Ertl received the news that he'd been awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces. He will claim his gold medal and $1.5 million on Dec. 10 in Stockholm.
Ertl, professor emeritus at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, in Berlin, said in an interview with the Nobel Foundation that he was particularly honored to be the first surface scientist to receive the Chemistry Nobel since the legendary Irving Langmuir garnered the award in 1932.
Max Planck Society Ertl

Ertl was recognized for his studies of fundamental processes at the gas-solid interface. He developed a quantitative description of how hydrogen organizes itself on the surfaces of catalytic metals such as platinum, palladium, and nickel. Ertl also produced key insights into the mechanism of the Haber-Bosch process, in which nitrogen and hydrogen combine to form ammonia.
"Gerhard Ertl has founded an experimental school of thought by showing how reliable results can be attained in this difficult area of research," according to a statement from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which administers the prize. "His insights have provided the scientific basis of modern surface chemistry: His methodology is used in both academic research and the industrial development of chemical processes."
"I think Ertl's award is just abundantly deserved," says Ralph Nuzzo, a chemistry professor and surface science expert at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "His work is phenomenal. It's accessible at so many different levels to different chemists. It really is the standard of excellence in scholarship. There are very few people that have made such a broadly reaching impact."
Although basic science, Ertl's work has far-reaching implications, both industrially and environmentally. The Haber-Bosch process is used to make artificial fertilizers by converting nitrogen from air into ammonia, using an iron surface as a catalyst. To clean exhaust emissions, all modern automobiles contain a platinum catalyst that oxidizes carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide via surface chemistry. Even simple rust, which is a major problem in everyday life as well as in airplanes and nuclear power plants, is an example of a chemical process on a surface.
By understanding these chemical processes, Ertl explained, scientists can think of ways to improve them. "A scientist will always think about his work and what he can do next," he said.
Ertl also said that he always advises his pupils to never abandon their work. "You should always try to solve a problem as far as it is possible," he said, adding, "You must be patient; that's very important."