Chemistry offers Condolences to the Family of Professor Emeritus Wolfgang M. H. Sachtler
January 10, 2017
Ipatieff Professor Emeritus Wolfgang M. H. Sachtler passed away Monday, January 9, 2017. Sachtler was hired from the Shell Research Laboratories in 1982 to succeed Robert L. Burwell as the third Ipatieff Professor of Chemistry. He was also the first Director of the Northwestern University Center for Catalysis and Surface Science. He was internationally known for his scientific and technical contributions to the field of heterogeneous catalysis, which is an essential technology for the production of fuels and chemicals. Sachtler is perhaps best known for his insightful research into the importance of available metal surface area dimensions on catalytic function, referred to as the "ensemble size effect". Toward the end of his scientific career he made major contributions to the discovery and understanding of catalysts that remove harmful, smog-generating pollutants from vehicle exhaust.