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”