george a. olah
DESCRIPTION
George A. Olah. Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994. "for his contribution to carbocation chemistry". Resolving A Decade Controversy. Family. The Supers. Changing Lanes. Childhood. Monarch Education. Hungarian Diaspora. Awards. Life Outside Chemistry. Family and Childhood. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
George A. Olah
"for his contribution to carbocation chemistry".
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994
Childhood
Monarch Education
Hungarian Diaspora
The Supers
Resolving A Decade Controversy
Life Outside
Chemistry
Changing Lanes
Awards
Family
Born in Budapest, Hungary, on May 22, 1927.
His family never had an interest in science.
His main interests were history, languages, literature and philosophy.
With parents Julius Olah andMagda Krasznai and brother Peter.
Family and Childhood
Monarch Education
Final Exam (1945):- translation of selected literature passages—without the help of adictionary—not only from 8 foreign languages (including Latin) intoHungarian, but also vice versa.
Budapesti Piarista Gimnazium
The Technical University of Budapest
The university followed a rigorous program where only the most successful students were allowed to remain.
He took Chemistry and fell in love.
Geza Zemplen“balcony laboratory”
Emil Fischer
Hungarian Diaspora
The Olah family went first to London, then Montreal, then Sarnia, Ontario, where Olah worked for Dow Chemical and later to Dow Chemicals, Mass.
In 1956, Hungary revolted against the Soviet rule.
Some 200,000 Hungarians fled their country.
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute at USC
In 1976, he accepted an appointment to the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in the newly established Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute, where he is currently Distinguished Professor and Loker Chair in Organic Chemistry.
The Supers
Magic Acid
• A super acid, 1:1 molar ratio, of fluorosulfonic acid (HSO3F) and antimony pentafluoride (SbF5) - 1018 times stronger than H2SO4
• used to catalyze isomerization of saturated hydrocarbons• have been shown to protonate even weak bases, including methane, xenon,
halogens, and molecular hydrogen
With Herbert Brown andHeinz Staab
Classical vs Non-classical CarbocationHerbert Brown vs Saul Weinstein
Non-Classical Ion Controversy
1962 Brookhaven Mechanism Conference
Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1994 for his research in carbocation chemistry and for uncovering new ways to use hydrocarbons in the petroleum industry.
Changing Lanes:Carbocations to Energy Resource
Converting excess carbon dioxide and methane into fuels and derivatives.
Developed a direct methanol fuel cell for generating electrical power from methanol without first producing hydrogen.
Awards, Publications and Patents
Olah has authored over 1000 papers and 15 books, and he holds more than 100 patents.
Patents by George A. Olah:• Liquefaction of Coals Using Recyclable Superacid Catalyst• Condensation of Natural Gas or Methane into Gasoline Range
Hydrocarbons• Oxidative COndensation of Natural Gas or Methane into Gasoline
Range Hydrocarbons• Upgrading of Natural Gasoline with Trifluoromethane Sulfonic Acid,
Hydrofluoric Acid and Lewis Acid Catalyst• Process for Affecting Hydrocarbon Isomerization or Alkylation• Environmentally Safe Catalytic Alkylation Using Liquid Onium Poly
(hydrogen Fluorides)
Awards and Recognitions
• Cotton Medal, 1996
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994
Priestley Medal, 2005
Life Outside Chemistry
Marying Judith Lengyel, 1949“the best thing ever to happen to me in my life”
George and Ronald Peter (1962)
Peter and Kaitlyn (1999)
Proud Chemist, Sailor, Goalie
“A Life of Magic Chemistry”