Gerhard Ertl (German pronunciation:[ˈɡeːɐ̯haʁtˈʔɛʁtl̩]ⓘ; born 10 October 1936) is a Germanphysicist and a Professoremeritus at the Department of Physical Chemistry,Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft in Berlin, Germany. Ertl's research laid the foundation of modernsurface chemistry, which has helped explain how fuel cells produce energy without pollution, how catalytic converters clean up car exhausts and even why iron rusts, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
His work has paved the way for development of cleaner energy sources and will guide the development of fuel cells, said Astrid Graslund, secretary of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.
He was awarded the 2007Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces. The Nobel academy said Ertl provided a detailed description of how chemical reactions take place on surfaces. His findings applied in both academic studies and industrial development, the academy said. “Surface chemistry can even explain the destruction of the ozone layer, as vital steps in the reaction actually take place on the surfaces of small crystals of ice in the stratosphere,” the award citation reads.
Gerhard Ertl is known for determining the detailed molecular mechanisms of the catalytic synthesis ofammonia over iron (Haber Bosch process) and the catalytic oxidation ofcarbon monoxide overplatinum (catalytic converter). During his research he discovered the important phenomenon of oscillatory reactions on platinum surfaces and, using photoelectron microscopy, was able to image for the first time, the oscillating changes in surface structure and coverage that occur during reaction.
Gerhard Ertl was awarded the 2007Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces. The award, worthSEK 10 million (US$1.7 million,£1.15 million), was announced on Ertl's 71st birthday.[8][9] "I am speechless", Ertl told Associated Press from his office in Berlin. "I was not counting on this."[10]
Ertl and his wife Barbara have two children and several grandchildren. His hobbies include playing the piano and also playing with his cats when he is not doing experiments. He identifies as Christian.[12]
^Till Weishaupt (December 2007)."Glauben Sie an Gott?".Cicero. Retrieved3 September 2014.Translated from German: Oh, yes, I believe in God. (...) I am a Christian and I try to live as a Christian (...) I read the Bible very often and I try to understand it.
