J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115, 841
841
Preface to the Alfons Baiker Festschrift This issue of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C is dedicated to Professor Alfons Baiker, Chair at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences at ETH Zurich on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Alfons Baiker’s numerous outstanding accomplishments have been recognized in this issue by many of his colleagues with articles including original scientific work from their laboratory. His contributions to heterogeneous catalysis are highly interdisciplinary spanning from materials chemistry, surface science, theoretical calculations, kinetics, and in situ spectroscopy to chemical engineering. His major goal has always been the advancement of the scientific knowledge necessary to design catalytic processes that are environmentally benign and efficient. He has applied this strategy in an unusually broad range of forefront research topics, such as the removal of NOx from stationary and mobile combustion sources, selective oxidation in fine chemistry, synthesis of aerogels and hybrid gels, catalysis on glassy metals, gold catalysis, utilization of carbon dioxide in chemical synthesis, catalysis with flame-derived materials, enantioselective catalysis on chiral metal surfaces, and various types of in situ spectroscopies, just to mention some fields where he has made important contributions. In spectroscopy his main focus has been on techniques for the elucidation of solid-liquid and solid-liquid-gas interfaces, which play an important role in many industrially relevant reactions. His great devotion to catalysis and related fields is documented in more than 830 articles in peer-reviewed journals and numerous patents. According to ISI Essential Science Indicators Alfons Baiker belongs to the most cited researchers in the field of chemistry of the past 20 years (http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/home.cgi). Baiker’s dedication to catalysis and chemistry does not stop at making pioneering and significant contributions to the science.
He also greatly contributed to the scientific community by serving as a member of the editorial boards of not less than seventeen journals and activities in several committees as well as a consultant to several chemical industries. During his career, Baiker has trained more than 100 Ph.D. students and many master and diploma students. Moreover, more than 70 postdoctoral students, senior scientists, and guest professors joined his group. Many of them have achieved leading positions in industry or academia around the world. His great dedication to science has been a continuous stimulus for all of his group members. We have always appreciated his style of leading which is based on convincing instead of pushing. It has been and it is an honor for us having worked many years with Alfons and receiving the very positive feedback from many of his colleagues concerning this special issue. Therefore we devote this Special Issue of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C to him with great pleasure. May his scientific and nonscientific activities continue for many more joyful years.
Thomas Bu¨rgi UniVersity of Heidelberg Jan-Dierk Grunwaldt Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
10.1021/jp109236p 2011 American Chemical Society Published on Web 01/27/2011
Marek Maciejewski ETH Zu¨rich Tamas Mallat ETH Zu¨rich JP109236P
