This year is the Year of Chemistry and it seems no coincidence that a chemist has won the award. Somorjai, considered the father of modern surface chemistry, has risen with him “for his pioneering contributions to the understanding of surface chemistry and catalysis at the molecular scale”, according to the minutes of the jury chaired by the Nobel Prize in Physics Theodor W. Hänsch .
The work of this Hungarian-born American, born in Budapest in 1935, and a professor at the University of Berkeley has led to a revolution in the world of chemistry . Thanks to his work, he went from an empirical and macroscopic chemistry to a molecular chemistry, managing to understand the processes at a more basic level. As the jury points out, “Chemical processes that take place on surfaces are crucial in fields as diverse as catalysts in tailpipes, drug production or fertilizers.”
And it is that, for many, Somorjai is considered the “father of modern surface chemistry”. His work, according to the BBVA Foundation committee, “has played a really crucial role in the development of surface chemistry, with enormous consequences in everyday life and the economy.”
Why does the ice slip?
All the theoretical and technical terms are fine but how has Somorjai influenced our lives? Much more than anyone might think when hearing the term “surface chemistry.” His work has been basic to understand phenomena such as adhesion, lubrication or friction; it has allowed the development of better fertilizers or catalysts for cars to better optimize gasoline; It has helped to understand why the ozone layer of the stratosphere is destroyed (by reactions that occur on the surface of microscopic crystals) and even such common phenomena as ice slipping. Even at the 2002 Winter Olympics, he was asked what they could do to make the ice rinks faster.
However, there are still many challenges that lie ahead. The world of energy is one of them, how to get alternative energy sources away from fossil fuels? For Somorjai this line of research “is one of the frontiers of science”.
This is the third edition of these prestigious awards, endowed with 3.2 million euros distributed in eight different categories. Throughout the month of February, the winners of the other categories will be known: Biomedicine, Ecology and Conservation Biology, Contemporary Music and Economics, Bonds and Business Management.
Edward O. Wilson, the “lord of the ants”, awarded by the BBVA Foundation
Shinya Yamanaka wins the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biomedicine
Helmut Lachenmann wins the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Contemporary Music
The International Rice Research Institute wins the BBVA Foundation Award for Development Cooperation
NOBEL AWARDS SPECIAL 2010
