A life of magic chemistry: autobiographical reflections of a nobel prize winner

288 Pages·2001·2.828 MB·English

by  George A. Olah

A LIFE OF
MAGIC CHEMISTRY
A LIFE OF
MAGIC CHEMISTRY
Autobiographical Reflections of a
Nobel Prize Winner
George A. Olah
A JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC., PUBLICATION
New York • Chichester • Weinheim • Brisbane • Singapore • Toronto
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData:
Olah,GeorgeA.(GeorgeAndrew),1927–
Alifeofmagicchemistry:autobiographicalreflectionsofanobelprizewinner/
GeorgeA.Olah.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-471-15743-0(cloth:alk.paper)
1. Olah,GeorgeA.(GeorgeAndrew),1927–. 2. Chemists—UnitedStates—Biography.
I. Title.
QD22.043A32000
540(cid:2).92—dc21
[B] 00-043638
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Judy,
who made it all possible
My grandchildren,Peterand Kaitlyn (July 1999).
Contents
Preface ix
Chapter 1. Introduction 1
Chapter 2. Perspectives on Science 4
Chapter 3. Chemistry: The Multifaceted Central Science 21
Chapter 4. Growing up in Hungary and Turning to Chemistry 38
Chapter 5. Early Research and Teaching: Departing the
Shadow of Emil Fischer 51
Chapter 6. Move to North America: Industrial Experience While
Pursuing the Elusive Cations of Carbon 64
Chapter. 7. Return to Academia—The Cleveland Years:
Carbocations, Magic Acid, and Superacid Chemistry 84
Chapter 8. Moving to Los Angeles: Building the Loker Institute—
Hydrocarbons and Hydrocarbon Research 108
Chapter 9. ‘‘Every Scientist Needs Good Enemies’’:
The Nonclassical Ion Controversy and Its Significance 137
Chapter 10. From Kekule´’s Four-Valent Carbon to Five- and
Higher-Coordinate Hypercarbon Chemistry 153
Chapter 11. The Nobel Prize: Learning to Live with It and
Not Rest on Laurels 169
Chapter 12. Post-Nobel Years: From Superacids to Superelectrophiles 188
vii
viii (cid:3) CONTENTS
Chapter 13. Societal and Environmental Challenges of Hydrocarbons:
Direct Methane Conversion, Methanol Fuel Cell, and
Chemical Recycling of Carbon Dioxide 205
Chapter 14. Gone My Way 222
Appendix My Previous Books for References and
Additional Reading 259
Index 261
Preface
My wife Judy, my children, and my friends urged me for some time to write
about my life and the fascinating period of science I was lucky to be part of.
For years I resisted, mainly because I was still fully occupied with research,
teaching, and various other commitments. I also felt it was not yet time to
look back instead of ahead. However, I slowly began to realize that, because
none of us knows how much time is still left, it might be ill advisedtosay‘‘it
isnotyettherighttime.’’Ithereforestartedtocollectmaterialandtoorganize
my thoughts for a book.
It soon became clear that this project would be very different from any
writing I had done before. I recognized that my goal was not only to give
autobiographical recollections of my life and my career in chemistry but also
to express some of my more general thoughts. These touch on varied topics,
including the broader meaning of science in the quest for understanding and
knowledge as well as their limitations. Science as a human endeavor means
the search for knowledge about the physical world. Inevitably, however, this
leads to such fundamental questions of how it all started anddeveloped:Was
thereabeginning?Wasourbeingplannedbyahigherintelligence?Westruggle
with these and related questions while trying to balance what we know
throughscienceandwhatwemustadmitisbeyondus.Mythoughtsarethose
of a scientist who always tried to maintain his early interest in the classics,
history, philosophy, and the arts. In recent years I have particularly tried to
fill in some of the gaps; a life actively pursuing science inevitably imposes
constraintsonthetimethatonecanspendreadingandstudyingoutsideone’s
own field of specialization. Of course, I realize only too well my limitations
and the lack of depth in my background in some of these areas. Therefore,I
have tried not to overreach, and I will limit my thoughts to my own under-
standing and views, however imperfect they may be.
Thisbookismainlyaboutmylifeinsearchofnewchemistry.Becausesome
of my work centered around the discovery of extremely strong ‘‘superacids,’’
which are sometimes also called ‘‘magic acids,’’ I chose the title A Life of
ix
x (cid:3) PREFACE
MagicChemistry.Italsoreflectsinamoregeneralwaytheexcitingandsome-
timesindeedeven‘‘magic’’natureofchemistry,whichwithitsextremelybroad
scope cuts through many of the sciences, truly being a central science.
It was a long journey that led me from Budapest through ClevelandtoLos
Angeles with a side trip to Stockholm. Sometimes I still wonder how life
unfolds in ways we could not have planned or foreseen.
I thank my publisher for the patience and understanding shown for my
delays in writing the book. My editors Darla Henderson, Amie Jackowski
Tibble, and Camille Pecoul Carter helped greatly to make the book a reality.
My wife,sons, and friendshelpedtoimprovethemanuscriptandcommented
on its many shortcomings. My particular thanks go to Reiko Choy, my long-
time secretary, who, before her retirement, miraculously produced a proper
manuscript from my messy handwritten drafts and thus allowed the book to
becompleted.IsimilarlythankJessieMay,whotookoverandcarriedthrough
with great efficiency and enthusiasm needed revisions and corrections.
George A. Olah
Los Angeles, October 2000