The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007
October 10th, 2007
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Oh this is way past cool. Congratulations to Gerhard Ertl for winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2007, which recognizes his lifetime of work establishing an experimental school of thought for the entire discipline of modern surface chemistry.
Using many different methods of measuring reactions, including playing reactions in reverse order, Ertl was able to decrypt the chain of atomic processes that produce artificial fertilizer and the oxidation of carbon monoxide on platinum, used by catalytic converters for exhaust-cleaning in cars. His research methods have opened an entire realm of scientific research.
An entry-level explanation of the research here (PDF).
A more technical explanation here (PDF).
