George Andrew Olah
Encyclopedia
George Andrew Olah is an American chemist
. His research involves the generation and reactivity of carbocation
s via superacids. For this research, Olah was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
in 1994. He has also been awarded the Priestley Medal
, the highest honor granted by the American Chemical Society
.
), he studied, then taught, at what is now Budapest University of Technology and Economics
. As a result of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
, he and his family moved briefly to England and then to Canada, where he joined Dow Chemical in Sarnia
, Ontario, with another Hungarian chemist, Stephen J. Kuhn. Olah's pioneering work on carbocations started during his eight years with Dow. In 1965 he returned to academia at Case Western Reserve University
and then to the University of Southern California
in 1977. In 1971, Olah became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Olah is currently a distinguished professor at the University of Southern California and the director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
. In 2005, Olah wrote an essay promoting the methanol economy
.
The Olah family formed an endowment fund
(the George A. Olah Endowment) which grants annual awards to outstanding chemists. The awards are selected and administered by the American Chemical Society
.
s led to the discovery of protonated methane
which was stabilized by superacids, like FSO3H-SbF5 ("Magic Acid
").
Olah was also involved in a career-long battle with Herbert C. Brown
of Purdue over the existence of so-called "nonclassical
" carbocations – such as the norbornyl
cation, which can be depicted as cationic character delocalized over several bonds.
In recent years, his research has shifted from hydrocarbon
s and their transformation into fuel to the methanol economy
. He has joined with Robert Zubrin
, Anne Korin
, and James Woolsey in promoting a flexible-fuel mandate initiative.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
. His research involves the generation and reactivity of carbocation
Carbocation
A carbocation is an ion with a positively-charged carbon atom. The charged carbon atom in a carbocation is a "sextet", i.e. it has only six electrons in its outer valence shell instead of the eight valence electrons that ensures maximum stability . Therefore carbocations are often reactive,...
s via superacids. For this research, Olah was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
in 1994. He has also been awarded the Priestley Medal
Priestley Medal
The Priestley Medal is the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society and is awarded for distinguished service in the field of chemistry. Established in 1922, the award is named after Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen who immigrated to the United States of America in 1794...
, the highest honor granted by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
.
Life
Olah was born in Budapest, Hungary, on May 22, 1927. After the high school of Budapesti Piarista Gimnazium (Scolopi fathersPiarists
The Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools or, in short, Piarists , is the name of the oldest Catholic educational order also known as the Scolopi, Escolapios or Poor Clerics of the Mother of God...
), he studied, then taught, at what is now Budapest University of Technology and Economics
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
The Budapest University of Technology and Economics , in hungarian abbreviated as BME, English official abbreviation BUTE, is the most significant University of Technology in Hungary and is also one of the oldest Institutes of Technology in the world, having been founded in 1782.-History:BME is...
. As a result of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
, he and his family moved briefly to England and then to Canada, where he joined Dow Chemical in Sarnia
Sarnia, Ontario
Sarnia is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada . It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River....
, Ontario, with another Hungarian chemist, Stephen J. Kuhn. Olah's pioneering work on carbocations started during his eight years with Dow. In 1965 he returned to academia at Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
and then to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1977. In 1971, Olah became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
Olah is currently a distinguished professor at the University of Southern California and the director of the Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute is on the campus of the University of Southern California. Nobel Laureate George A. Olah serves as Director and G.K. Surya Prakash serves as Scientific Co-Director and holds the George A. and Judith A...
. In 2005, Olah wrote an essay promoting the methanol economy
Methanol economy
The methanol economy is a suggested future economy in which methanol replaces fossil fuels as a means of energy storage, ground transportation fuel, and raw material for synthetic hydrocarbons and their products. It offers an alternative to the proposed hydrogen economy or ethanol economy.In the...
.
The Olah family formed an endowment fund
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
(the George A. Olah Endowment) which grants annual awards to outstanding chemists. The awards are selected and administered by the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
.
Work
The search for stable carbocationCarbocation
A carbocation is an ion with a positively-charged carbon atom. The charged carbon atom in a carbocation is a "sextet", i.e. it has only six electrons in its outer valence shell instead of the eight valence electrons that ensures maximum stability . Therefore carbocations are often reactive,...
s led to the discovery of protonated methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
which was stabilized by superacids, like FSO3H-SbF5 ("Magic Acid
Magic acid
Magic acid , is a superacid consisting of a mixture, most commonly in a 1:1 molar ratio, of fluorosulfonic acid and antimony pentafluoride...
").
- CH4 + H+ → CH5+
Olah was also involved in a career-long battle with Herbert C. Brown
Herbert C. Brown
Herbert Charles Brown was a chemist and Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate for his work with organoboranes....
of Purdue over the existence of so-called "nonclassical
Non-classical ion
Non-classical ions in organic chemistry are a special type of carbonium ions displaying delocalization of sigma bonds in 3-center-2-electron bonds of bridged systems. The term non-classical ion was first used by John D...
" carbocations – such as the norbornyl
Norbornane
Norbornane is an organic compound and a saturated hydrocarbon with chemical formula C7H12. It is a crystalline compound with melting point 88 °C. The carbon skeleton is a cyclohexane ring bridged by a methylene group in the 1,4- position, and is a bridged bicyclic compound...
cation, which can be depicted as cationic character delocalized over several bonds.
In recent years, his research has shifted from hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
s and their transformation into fuel to the methanol economy
Methanol economy
The methanol economy is a suggested future economy in which methanol replaces fossil fuels as a means of energy storage, ground transportation fuel, and raw material for synthetic hydrocarbons and their products. It offers an alternative to the proposed hydrogen economy or ethanol economy.In the...
. He has joined with Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin
Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer and author, best known for his advocacy of the manned exploration of Mars. He was the driving force behind Mars Direct—a proposal intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission...
, Anne Korin
Anne Korin
Anne Korin is co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, a think tank focused on energy and security, and chairs the Set America Free Coalition, an alliance of national security, environmental, labor and religious groups promoting ways to reduce America's dependence on...
, and James Woolsey in promoting a flexible-fuel mandate initiative.
Technical Publications
- Olah, G. "Superacid Catalyzed Depolymerization and Conversion of Coals. Final Technical Report. [HF:BF{sub 2}/H{sub 2}]", University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, (1980). - Olah, G. A. "Superacid Catalyzed Coal Conversion Chemistry. 1st and 2nd Quarterly Technical Progress Reports, September 1, 1983-March 30, 1984.", University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, (1984). - Olah, G. A. "Superacid Catalyzed Coal Conversion Chemistry. Final Technical Report, September 1, 1983-September 1, 1986.", University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, (1986).
External links
- Biography and Bibliographic Resources, from the Office of Scientific and Technical InformationOffice of Scientific and Technical InformationThe Office of Scientific and Technical Information is a component of the Office of Science within the U.S. Department of Energy...
, United States Department of EnergyUnited States Department of EnergyThe United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material... - Methanol as an alternative fuel Recording of a discussion with George Olah broadcast on NPR.
- My Search for Carbocations and Their Role in Chemistry Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1994 by George A. Olah
- The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security