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My Life with Science

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Ertl, G. (2023). My Life with Science. GNT Publishing GmbH. https://doi.org/10.47261/1558
Ertl, Gerhard. My Life with Science. GNT Publishing GmbH, 2023. Book. https://doi.org/10.47261/1558
Ertl, G (2023): My Life with Science, GNT Publishing GmbH, [online] https://doi.org/10.47261/1558

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My Life with Science

Ertl, Gerhard

Lives in Chemistry – Lebenswerke in der Chemie, Vol. 7

(2023)

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Abstract

Who has had the luck to receive the Nobel Prize as a surprise birthday present? The answer is Gerhard Ertl, born in 1936.

In his youth he was interested in music, chemistry, and physics, and started university in Stuttgart followed by Paris and Munich. The door to research opened itself in his diploma thesis. His courage showed itself early on when he was a PhD student, and led him to the novel field of surface science and so to heterogeneous catalysis where he became one of the great pioneers.

He discovered at an atomic level the mechanisms and kinetics of ammonia synthesis and CO oxidation. He identified the “active centers” of catalysts—and his line of thought shaped current heterogeneous catalysis that is so important for modern industry and society. Time after time he set out basic concepts for solving important scientific and technical problems—with patience and without any fuss. Typical for Gerhard Ertl!

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Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Lives in Chemistry 3
Published titles in this series 4
Imprint 6
Table of contents 8
Preface 12
1 Youth and education 13
1.1  The beginnings 15
1.2  University studies 18
1.3  Diploma thesis 20
1.4  Doctorate 23
2 University teacher 29
2.1  Habilitation 31
2.2  Professor in Hanover 33
2.3  Professor in Munich 37
2.3.1  The mechanism of ammonia synthesis 44
3 Director at the Fritz Haber Institute 49
3.1  Preface 51
3.2  Real catalysis 52
3.3  Dynamics of surface processes 53
3.4  Electronic excitations in surface reactions 55
3.5  Surface processes on the atomic scale 56
3.6  Electrochemical micromachining 64
3.7  Oscillating reactions and nonlinear dynamics 66
4 (Un-)retirement 75
4.1  Emeritus status 77
4.2  Teaching and organization of science 78
4.3  Awards 82
4.4  The role of music 92
5 About the limits of the knowledge of nature 95
5.1  Where do we stand? 97
5.2.4  The unstable equilibria 101
5.2.2  The binding forces 99
5.2.1  The stable equilibria 99
5.2.3  The rates 100
Appendix 103
Epilogue 105
Vita 108
Chemistree 110
Holographs 113
Publications 162
Links and literature 191
Image sources 193
Index 194
Reactions from our readers 198
Titles in this series 199