PERKIN MEDAL
Penn's Weisz Wins 1985 Perkin Medal for Applied Chemistry Work Joseph Haggin, C&EN Chicago
Although he is probably best known for his contributions to zeolite catalysis, Paul B. Weisz has strong interests in a variety of other disciplines as well. His research work has included such diverse subjects as cosmic ray detection, electronics, kinetics and catalysis, industrial and biological processes, energy technology, and research philosophy and semantics. His hobbies range from ham radio to scuba diving. At last report, he had published 137 papers and had been g r a n t e d 71 patents. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to applied chemistry, the distinguished professor of chemical and bioengineering science at the University of Pennsylvania has been awarded the Perkin Medal for 1985. The award is made by the American Section of the Society of Chemical Industry to winners chosen jointly by the Society of Chemical Industry, American Chemical Society, American Institute of Chemists, Société de Chimie Industrielle (American Section), American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Electrochemical Society. Weisz was formerly manager of the central research laboratory, senior scientist, and science adviser at Mobil Research & Development Corp. Weisz says that his first encounter with "catalysis" was seeing that title on a book in a store window as a young man. The intriguing word "followed [him] quietly like [a] mysterious image" as he pursued his earliest interests. In Germany in the late 1930s, those interests were, broadly, physics and, more particularly, electricity. They reflected work then going on at the Institute for Cosmic Radiation Research in Berlin, and, when
Weisz emigrated in 1939, at Bartol Research Foundation, Swarthmore, Pa. Weisz's first encounters with chemical phenomena emerged from work on corona discharge mechanisms. In this work, he also encountered organic molecules, the phenomenon of adsorption on metal surfaces, and complex interplay among ions, molecules, surfaces, and electrons. Fortuitously, about this time, solid-state physics was beginning to blossom, and he thought it appropriate to learn more about it. Weisz arrived to work at Mobil in 1946, where the mysterious "image of catalysis" was translated into something more immediate on a gigantic scale. Catalysis involved molecules at surfaces and to Weisz that meant solid-state science. As is still the case, the clamor at the time was for more chemical selectivity with heterogeneous catalysts. This produced in his mind a biomolecular connection, namely, the relationship between structure selectivity and
molecular discrimination. The art of chemical catalysis was, at best, only class-selective. Weisz's early papers in catalysis, understandably, were written with a strong flavor of solid-state physics. Schottky barriers and their effects on chemisorption and the states of the adsorbed species were typical subjects of these early papers. Weisz has noted that like many others, he made the mistake that such theory applied generally to all catalysis. Eventually he learned that catalysis is another class of chemistry and that chemistry is highly complex. That is the point emphasized in the eventual realization by chemists that successive, coupled, conversion steps occur simultaneously at different catalytic centers. Multifunctionality is the term that usually covers the subject these days, but it took a lot of sweat and thought to find that out. A major event in catalysis history occurred with the appearance of molecular sieves. Weisz notes that, at the time, many people thought crystalline materials couldn't possibly offer much scope for catalysis. Part of the difficulty was the unique nature of surfaces. The surface of a solid represents a structural anomaly, and bulk properties aren't necessarily indicative of conditions at a surface. The availability of zeolites, says Weisz, has circumvented the difficulty of defining chemistry at a surface. Heterogeneous catalysis has been moved into intracrystalline space, where both chemistry and the local structure are well defined. It is thus possible to manipulate the chemistry and the number of catalytic sites simultaneously. Man-made catalysts generally lack the specificity of enzyme catalysts, but zeolites have improved matters April 1, 1985 C&EN
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Perkin Medal considerably in this regard. They also have nurtured some new technology that is inherently more chemically selective than anything before. Ethylbenzene, for example, is now made selectively over a catalyst. There are isomerization processes to increase the value of certain feedstocks and, in very recent months, the ability to convert methanol to high-octane gasoline in a single step. The Mobil methanol-togasoline (MTG) process will go on stream in its first commercial venture later this year in New Zealand (C&EN, March 25, page 39). In his early work, Weisz bumped into the problems of defending patents. In connection with the development of light-sensitive Geiger tubes, he discovered that the only thing more frustrating than being too late with an invention was being too early. Because he couldn't afford a lawyer at the time, Weisz had to handle an interference proceeding before the patent authori-
ties himself. It was a hassle, but he believes it was worth it in the end. He became adept enough in patent matters to be admitted to practice in 1954 as a patent agent before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. This has since been of great help to him. Weisz's interest in electronics isn't
right to the door of some very fine restaurants via his radio. Another favorite recreation is skin- and scuba-diving, which he and his family enjoy at their second home on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. A problem to all researchers is that of directing one's work. In prin-
As in other activities, research must be progressive; management of research is a matter of minimizing entropy in a progressive endeavor confined to corona discharges and Geiger tubes. He has been a radio ham since he was 15 years old, and he often carries a small 2-meter, FM transceiver with him when he travels. It comes in handy in some unusual ways. He claims that on several occasions he has driven into a strange city and has been "talked"
ciple, perfectly pure research can expand into the unknown at random and generate new knowledge. The problem is that as desirable as such purity may be, it doesn't exist. And if it did, it would be horribly inefficient. Such hyperpure research would, of its nature, involve a lot of repetition and reinvention.
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Weisz observes that research must be well directed to be effective, and a researcher is constantly faced with the problem of how to direct the next step of his or her research. As in other activities, research must be progressive, particularly if it is done in industry. "Progressive" is the key word. Weisz suggests that progress is a vector quality proceeding radially outward from the known. Insofar as research is progressive, it more or less coincides with the vector and becomes less random. In this sense, management—particularly management of research—is a matter of minimizing entropy in a progressive endeavor. Another consequence of progress in science, Weisz suggests, is a greater consciousness of the value of interdisciplinary effort. In 1900, science was inherently much more "interdisciplinary" than now. There were fewer scientists to begin with. In fact, says Weisz, there was little
need to even discuss the matter be- grow, and perhaps faster than the cause it was done in the normal absolute number itself. Ultimately course of events. Nobody had to be it becomes a matter of allocating scarce resources, and such matters sold on the idea. Today, with more scientists work- as conservation become very imporing in more and deeper specialties, tant. Weisz believes that conservathe need for interdisciplinary con- tion of energy can have a signifitacts is much greater. As time goes cant short-term impact but that on, that need transcends the sci- eventually conservation will cease ences and becomes even more in- to have any appreciable effect in clusive. There is a growing need to distributing energy. It may be incorrect to call Weisz a integrate science with law, ethics, and other areas—difficult to do at generalise but he is certainly unusual in the breadth of interests that times. A case in point, which Weisz has he has pursued to productive ends. discussed on several occasions, is To the extent that his work was the equitable distribution of energy done in a period of great scientific among people. What is equitable expansion, his success may be conmay be debatable in itself, but Weisz sidered a matter of good fortune. is certain that two of the variables However, that he contributed to in the final equation will be popu- quite a few diverse disciplines leaves lation and per capita energy inten- little doubt about his native abilisity. These are not necessarily inde- ties. He has also cloaked his work pendent variables because the in- in a mantle of generality that makes tensity is somewhat dependent on it relevant to many more people the absolute number of people. As than the specialists who work in D the number grows, the interactions only one of his areas of interest.
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