2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Reason for Award
for his studies of chemical processes on solid surfaces
Laureates
Germany
Explanation
In chemistry, reactions happen when substances join or separate. In 2007 Gerhard Ertl won the Nobel Prize for finding out how such reactions occur on hard surfaces like metals. A surface is a tiny “stage” where atoms and molecules dance. Ertl watched that dance with special microscopes and vacuum machines. Thanks to his work, catalysts that clean car exhaust and factories that make fertilizer can work better. He discovered clues from the mysterious world on surfaces that help make our lives safer and more convenient.
Related Keywords
surface chemistry
Surface chemistry deals with reactions and interactions occurring in the outermost layers of solids at the atomic and molecular levels. Because electronic states and bonding differ from the bulk, the field is crucial for understanding catalysis, corrosion, semiconductor growth, and more. Ertl’s work shifted surface chemistry from qualitative observation to quantitative, mechanistic analysis. The advance was enabled by sophisticated vacuum systems and spectroscopic techniques. Today the discipline underpins emerging areas such as energy conversion and bio-interfaces.
heterogeneous catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis accelerates chemical reactions using catalysts in a phase different from the reactants, usually solids. Reactant molecules adsorb on active sites, so performance depends heavily on surface structure and electronic states. Ertl experimentally measured elementary-step rates and activation energies, improving the fidelity of micro-kinetic models. The field has major societal impact in car exhaust treatment, ammonia synthesis, and more. Current research expands toward nanoparticle and single-atom catalysts.
Haber-Bosch process
The Haber-Bosch process produces ammonia by reacting nitrogen from air with hydrogen, underpinning global food production. The reaction occurs on iron catalysts under high temperature and pressure. Ertl demonstrated that nitrogen dissociation is the rate-limiting step and explained the electronic role of potassium promoters. His insights guide catalyst improvement and energy-saving strategies. They also inform emerging green-ammonia technologies for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
ultra-high vacuum (UHV)
Ultra-high vacuum, around 10⁻⁷ Pa, protects solid surfaces from molecular contamination, maintaining a pristine system. Because surface experiments observe single-atomic-layer changes, background adsorption must be minimized. Ertl combined UHV with low-energy electron probes to visualize reaction pathways. UHV techniques are now essential in quantum-material research and semiconductor fabrication. Ion pumps and titanium-sublimation pumps are among the sophisticated devices enabling such environments.
scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM)
STM uses a sharp tip and quantum tunnelling current to image surface atoms directly. Ertl employed STM to visualize adsorption sites of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, validating reaction mechanisms against theory. The technique revealed roles of atomic-scale reconstructions and defects. STM is applied to molecular manipulation and single-atom catalyst design. Variable-temperature and high-speed STM extend observations to dynamic processes.
carbon-monoxide oxidation
CO oxidation converts toxic CO and O₂ into CO₂, crucial for car exhaust treatment. On Pt and Pd surfaces the reaction exhibits coverage-dependent rate oscillations and chaos. Ertl studied it on Pt(110) in detail, showing that interplay with surface reconstruction generates nonlinear dynamics. The findings inform catalyst stability guidelines and improve reaction modeling. Current research pursues nanoscale catalysts that enable low-temperature CO oxidation.
chemical chaos
Chemical chaos refers to unpredictable aperiodic behavior in reaction systems caused by nonlinear rate laws and feedback. It has been observed in surface reactions such as CO oxidation. Ertl’s work was the first to analyze catalyst-surface chaos systematically, quantifying fractal dimensions and phase-space trajectories. Chaos can destabilize reactors but also drives self-organized pattern formation. The phenomenon links nonlinear science with chemical engineering.