Chemist Helmut Schwarz, 17th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Laureate in Basic Sciences, explains in the interview how his work demonstrated that individual atoms can drive key chemical reactions, establishing the concept of single-atom catalysis. He highlights his research on the Degussa reaction, in which methane and ammonia combine to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN), showing that adding a single silver atom to a platinum catalyst prevents soot formation, improves process efficiency, and reduces costs—an example of how fundamental knowledge can transform industrial applications.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences has gone in its seventeenth edition to Avelino Corma, John F. Hartwig and Helmut Schwarz for fundamental advances in the catalysis field, in the words of the committee, that have made it possible to “control and accelerate chemical
Chemist Helmut Schwarz, 17th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Laureate in Basic Sciences, explains in the interview how his work demonstrated that individual atoms can drive key chemical reactions, establishing the concept of single-atom catalysis. He highlights his research on the Degussa reaction, in which methane and ammonia combine to produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN), showing that adding a single silver atom to a platinum catalyst prevents soot formation, improves process efficiency, and reduces costs—an example of how fundamental knowledge can transform industrial applications.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences has gone in its seventeenth edition to Avelino Corma, John F. Hartwig and Helmut Schwarz for fundamental advances in the catalysis field, in the words of the committee, that have made it possible to “control and accelerate chemical reactions” and obtain products across multiple industrial processes, thereby “improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.”
00:00 Introduction
00:04 Professor Schwarz, could you explain what your fundamental contributions have been to the field of catalysis and how they have helped to control and accelerate chemical reactions in a more efficient manner?
01:02 What industrial applications have already been developed as a result of your research?
02:15 In what ways do you think your work reflects the fundamental importance of basic research in chemistry to expand knowledge and benefit society?
