2007
Nitrogen becomes artificial fertilizer
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 In the Haber-Bosch process nitrogen is extracted from the air to form ammonia. This is an important stage in the production of artificial fertilizers and the process won Fritz Haber the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Even though the chemical process has been known for a long time,…
moreMolecules on surfaces
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2007 to Gerhard Ertl “for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces”. Photo: Wolfram Däumel, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Gerhard Ertl Born in 1936 in Bad Cannstadt, Germany. PhD in Physical Chemistry in…
moreThe Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 1918 Fritz Haber awarded Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the Haber-Bosch process. 1932 Irving Langmuir awarded the first Nobel Prize for general surface chemistry. 1956 Cyril Hinshelwood awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, among other things for the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism for surface reactions. 1992 Ilya Prigogine awarded the Nobel…
moreQ&A with Gerhard Ertl, October 2007
Interview
Questions and answers After the 2007 Nobel Prize announcements, visitors to Nobelprize.org had the possibility to submit questions to the 2007 Nobel Laureates. Here, Gerhard Ertl answers a selection of the questions. Question: Apart from the development of more effective adsorption catalysts, what in your opinion are the most important applications of the knowledge we…
moreAward ceremony speech
Award ceremony speech
English Presentation Speech by Professor Håkan Wennerström, Member of the ; Member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, 10 December 2007 Professor Håkan Wennerström delivering the Presentation Speech for the 2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Ladies and Gentlemen, The central theme of chemistry…
moreSpeed read: Exploring chemistry at the frontier
Speed read
Like a successful dinner party, productive chemical reactions depend upon getting the right components to mingle in the right surroundings, and often the best environment for chemistry turns out to be a solid surface. From the cleaning of exhaust fumes in factory chimneys to the reduction of ozone on the outside of ice crystals in…
morePresentationstal
Award ceremony speech
Swedish Presentationstal av Professor Håkan Wennerström, ledamot av , ledamot av Nobelkommittén för kemi, 10 December 2007. Professor Håkan Wennerström presenterar Nobelpriset i kemi 2007 i Stockholms Konserthus. Eders Majestäter, Eders Kungliga Högheter, mina damer och herrar. Det centrala temat i kemin är den kemiska reaktionen. Det handlar om hur molekyler bildas, omformas…
moreUseful Links / Further Reading
Other resources
The Nobel Laureate , Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Animation , Fritz-Haber-Institut, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Scientific review articles Imbihl, R., Ertl, G. Oscillatory Kinetics in Heterogeneous Catalysis. Chemical Review 1995(95) 697–733 Ertl, G. Primary Steps in Catalytic Synthesis of Ammonia. Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A 1(2) 1247–1253 (1983) Ertl G. Elementary Processes at Gas/Metal Interfaces. Angewandte Chemie…
moreClean exhaust
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007 In the catalysts of cars poisonous carbon monoxide reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide before the exhaust is emitted. This reaction takes place on a surface of platinum, for instance. Ertl has shown that the reaction is considerably more complicated than could be expected and in this…
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