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2204 Russ. Chem.Bull., Vol. 44, No. 11, November, 1995 Information Information Prize winners of 1995 in the field of chemical sciences Nobel Prize of 1995 in chemistry* The Nobel Prize of 1995 in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists: Paul Krutzen (Germany) and Mario Molina and Sherwood Rouland (USA), for works in the field of the atmospheric chemistry dealing with the study of the formation and decomposition of ozone. Paul Krutzen was born in 1933 in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). In 1973 he got a Doctor of Science degree in meteorology at Stockholm University. He is a mem- ber of the Royal Sweden Academy of Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, mad the European Acad- emy and works at the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz (Germany). Mario Molina was bona in 1943 in Mexico City (Mexico). He got a Doctor of Science degree in physical chemistry at the University of California (Berkeley). He is a member of the USA National Academy of Sciences and works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA). Sherwood Rouland was born in 1927 in Delaware (Ohio, USA). He got a Doctor of Science degree at Chicago University in 1952. He is a member of the American Science and Art Academy and the USA Na- tional Academy of Sciences. He works at the University of California (USA). The ozone layer plays an important role in the existence of life on the Earth by absorbing most of the ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is very important to understand processes controlling the content of ozone in the atmosphere. Panl Krutzen, Mario Molina, and Sherwood Rouland were first to study chemical processes of the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere. They showed that the ozone layer is rather sensitive to some * Based on materials kindly provided by G. L Skubnevskaya. substances ofanthropogenic origin; they identified chemi- cal mechanisms of the destruction of the ozone layer. In 1970, Paul Krutzen showed for the first time that the nitrogen oxides NO x act as catalysts of ozone decompo- sition in the atmosphere. These oxides are formed from nitrogen hemioxide N20, which is liberated during micro- biological transformations on the Earth surface. The relationship between soil microorganisms and the thick- ness of the ozone layer discovered by Krutzen stimu- lated studies dealing with global biogeochemical cycles. Mario Molina and Shei~vood Rouland published their pioneering work in "Nature" in 1974; in this paper, they stated the hypothesis that chlorofluoromethanes pen- etrate into the stratosphere, where the ozone layer is located, and are decomposed there yielding active halo- gen and hydrogen atoms, which destroy ozone in cata- lytic cycles. Later this hypothesis was confirmed. In response to the studies of Krutzen, Molina, and Rouland, in the late 1970s, the resolution to restrict the use of chlorofluoromethanes was adopted. After the discovery of "ozone holes" (in 1985, over the Antarctic Region and some time later over the Arctic Region), the corresponding international conventions were developed; in particular, the Montreal protocol, according to which, from 1996, the use of Freons destroying the atmospheric ozone layer is prohibited all over the world. Krutzen, Molina, and Rouland were first to suggest a chemical model of the origin of "ozone holes" in the atmosphere. This was a great contribution to the solu- tion of the global problem, which could have had cata- strophic repercussions. It is noteworthy that on the threshold of the third thousand years, the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded for the first time for works in the field of the chemistry of the atmosphere. This indicates that the scientific community has realized that studies in this field create the possibility of averting global ecological catastrophes. Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. I 1, p. 2300, November, 1995. 1066-5285/95/4411-2204512.50 Plenum Publishing Corporation

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2204 Russ. Chem.Bull., Vol. 44, No. 11, November, 1995 Information

Information Prize winners of 1995 in the field of chemical sciences

Nobel Prize of 1995 in chemistry*

The Nobel Prize of 1995 in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists: Paul Krutzen (Germany) and Mario Molina and Sherwood Rouland (USA), for works in the field of the atmospheric chemistry dealing with the study of the formation and decomposition of ozone.

Paul Krutzen was born in 1933 in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). In 1973 he got a Doctor of Science degree in meteorology at Stockholm University. He is a mem- ber of the Royal Sweden Academy of Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering, mad the European Acad- emy and works at the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz (Germany).

Mario Molina was bona in 1943 in Mexico City (Mexico). He got a Doctor of Science degree in physical chemistry at the University of California (Berkeley). He is a member of the USA National Academy of Sciences and works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA).

Sherwood Rouland was born in 1927 in Delaware (Ohio, USA). He got a Doctor of Science degree at Chicago University in 1952. He is a member of the American Science and Art Academy and the USA Na- tional Academy of Sciences. He works at the University of California (USA).

The ozone layer plays an important role in the existence of life on the Earth by absorbing most of the ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is very important to understand processes controlling the content of ozone in the atmosphere.

Panl Krutzen, Mario Molina, and Sherwood Rouland were first to study chemical processes of the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere. They showed that the ozone layer is rather sensitive to some

* Based on materials kindly provided by G. L Skubnevskaya.

substances ofanthropogenic origin; they identified chemi- cal mechanisms of the destruction of the ozone layer. In 1970, Paul Krutzen showed for the first time that the nitrogen oxides NO x act as catalysts of ozone decompo- sition in the atmosphere. These oxides are formed from nitrogen hemioxide N20, which is liberated during micro- biological transformations on the Earth surface. The relationship between soil microorganisms and the thick- ness of the ozone layer discovered by Krutzen stimu- lated studies dealing with global biogeochemical cycles.

Mario Molina and Shei~vood Rouland published their pioneering work in "Nature" in 1974; in this paper, they stated the hypothesis that chlorofluoromethanes pen- etrate into the stratosphere, where the ozone layer is located, and are decomposed there yielding active halo- gen and hydrogen atoms, which destroy ozone in cata- lytic cycles. Later this hypothesis was confirmed.

In response to the studies of Krutzen, Molina, and Rouland, in the late 1970s, the resolution to restrict the use of chlorofluoromethanes was adopted. After the discovery of "ozone holes" (in 1985, over the Antarctic Region and some time later over the Arctic Region), the corresponding international conventions were developed; in particular, the Montreal protocol, according to which, from 1996, the use of Freons destroying the atmospheric ozone layer is prohibited all over the world.

Krutzen, Molina, and Rouland were first to suggest a chemical model of the origin of "ozone holes" in the atmosphere. This was a great contribution to the solu- tion of the global problem, which could have had cata- strophic repercussions.

It is noteworthy that on the threshold of the third thousand years, the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded for the first time for works in the field of the chemistry of the atmosphere. This indicates that the scientific community has realized that studies in this field create the possibility of averting global ecological catastrophes.

Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. I 1, p. 2300, November, 1995. 1066-5285/95/4411-2204512.50 �9 Plenum Publishing Corporation