George A. Olah

2. George A. Olah Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994 "for his contribution to carbocation chemistry".

3. Resolving A Decade Controversy Family The Supers Changing Lanes Childhood Monarch Education Hungarian Diaspora Awards Life Outside Chemistry

4. Family and Childhood 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 Olahand Magda Krasznai and brother Peter.

5. Monarch Education Final Exam (1945): - translation of selected literature passages—without the help of a dictionary—not only from 8 foreign languages (including Latin) into Hungarian, but also vice versa. BudapestiPiaristaGimnazium

6. The Technical University of Budapest He took Chemistry and fell in love. The university followed a rigorous program where only the most successful students were allowed to remain.

7. Emil Fischer GezaZemplen “balcony laboratory”

8. Hungarian Diaspora In 1956, Hungary revolted against the Soviet rule. Some 200,000 Hungarians fled their country. The Olah family went first to London, then Montreal, then Sarnia, Ontario, where Olah worked for Dow Chemical and later to Dow Chemicals, Mass.

9. 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.

10. The Supers Magic Acid • A super acid, 1:1 molar ratio, of fluorosulfonic acid (HSO3F) and antimony pentafluoride (SbF5) - 1018times 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

11. Non-Classical Ion Controversy With Herbert Brown and Heinz Staab 1962 Brookhaven Mechanism Conference Classical vs Non-classical Carbocation Herbert Brown vsSaul Weinstein Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1994 for his research in carbocation chemistry and for uncovering new ways to use hydrocarbons in the petroleum industry.

12. 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.

14. 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 SuperacidCatalyst • 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)

15. Awards and Recognitions • Cotton Medal, 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994 Priestley Medal, 2005

17. Life Outside Chemistry Marying Judith Lengyel, 1949 “the best thing ever to happen to me in my life”

18. George and Ronald Peter (1962) Peter and Kaitlyn (1999)

19. Proud Chemist, Sailor, Goalie

20. “A Life of Magic Chemistry”