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Chemistry
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2025

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Best Scientists

D-Index
174
Citations
125167
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743
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457

Chemistry

D-Index
176
Citations
127338
World Ranking
48
National Ranking
25

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2025 - Research.com Best Scientists Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Chemistry in United States Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Chemistry in United States Leader Award
  • 2015 - William H. Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 2013 - NAS Award in Chemical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (US) In recognition of his pioneering experimental and conceptual contributions to the understanding of surface chemistry and catalysis at a microscopic and molecular level.
  • 2010 - BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award
  • 2009 - Fellow of the American Chemical Society
  • 2008 - Priestley Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 2007 - Irving Langmuir Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 2003 - F.A. Cotton Medal for Excellence in Chemical Research, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 2001 - US President's National Medal of Science "For molecular studies of surfaces through the use of single crystals and the development of new techniques that served as foundations of new surface technologies including heterogeneous catalysis.", Presented by President George W. Bush in a White House East Room ceremony on June 12, 2002.
  • 2000 - Linus Pauling Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 1998 - Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Wolf Foundation for their outstanding contributions to the field of the surface science in general, and for their elucidation of fundamental mechanisms of heterogeneous catalytic reactions at single crystal surfaces in particular.
  • 1997 - Von Hippel Award, Materials Research Society
  • 1989 - Peter Debye Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 1987 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • 1983 - Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • 1983 - Centenary Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)
  • 1979 - Member of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 1976 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS)
  • 1969 - Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

Overview

Gabor A. Somorjai is affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley in the United States. Their research primarily spans the fields of Chemistry, Energy, and Materials Science, with a focus on subfields such as Inorganic Chemistry, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, and Materials Chemistry.

Their work covers key topics including:

  • Metal-Organic Frameworks: Synthesis and Applications
  • Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
  • Catalytic Processes in Materials Science

Somorjai has collaborated frequently with several co-authors, including Zhiyuan Qi, Luning Chen, Shuchen Zhang, and Ji Su.

They have published research papers notably in the venue "Topics in Catalysis". One recent publication of theirs is titled "Integrating the Fields of Catalysis: Active Site Engineering in Metal Cluster, Metal Organic Framework and Metal Single Site", published in 2020 in Topics in Catalysis.

Throughout their career, Somorjai has received numerous awards and honors. These include:

  • William H. Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2015
  • NAS Award in Chemical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (US), 2013, recognizing pioneering experimental and conceptual contributions to surface chemistry and catalysis at molecular levels
  • BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, 2010
  • Fellow of the American Chemical Society, 2009
  • Priestley Medal, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2008
  • Irving Langmuir Award, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2007
  • F.A. Cotton Medal for Excellence in Chemical Research, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2003
  • US President's National Medal of Science, 2001, awarded for molecular studies of surfaces and development of techniques foundational to surface technologies including heterogeneous catalysis
  • Linus Pauling Award, American Chemical Society (ACS), 2000
  • Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Wolf Foundation, 1998, for contributions to surface science and mechanisms of heterogeneous catalytic reactions at single crystal surfaces
  • Von Hippel Award, Materials Research Society, 1997
  • Peter Debye Award, American Chemical Society (ACS), 1989
  • Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 1987
  • Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1983
  • Centenary Prize, Royal Society of Chemistry (UK), 1983
  • Member of the National Academy of Sciences, 1979
  • Fellow of American Physical Society (APS), 1976
  • Fellow of John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1969

Best Publications

  • Introduction to surface chemistry and catalysis

    Gabor A. Somorjai;Brian E. Bent

  • Formation of hollow nanocrystals through the nanoscale kirkendall effect

    Yadong Yin;Robert M. Rioux;Can K. Erdonmez;Steven Hughes

  • Highly Crystalline Multimetallic Nanoframes with Three-Dimensional Electrocatalytic Surfaces

    Chen Chen;Yijin Kang;Ziyang Huo;Ziyang Huo;Zhongwei Zhu;Zhongwei Zhu

  • General Route to Vertical ZnO Nanowire Arrays Using Textured ZnO Seeds

    Lori E. Greene;Matt Law;Dawud H. Tan;Max Montano

  • Catalysis Research of Relevance to Carbon Management: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities

    Hironori Arakawa;Michele Aresta;John N. Armor;Mark A. Barteau

  • Thermally stable Pt/mesoporous silica core–shell nanocatalysts for high-temperature reactions

    Sang Hoon Joo;Jeong Young Park;Chia-Kuang Tsung;Yusuke Yamada

  • A reversibly switching surface.

    Joerg Lahann;Samir Mitragotri;Thanh Nga Tran;Hiroki Kaido

  • Shaping binary metal nanocrystals through epitaxial seeded growth.

    Susan E. Habas;Hyunjoo Lee;Hyunjoo Lee;Velimir Radmilovic;Gabor A. Somorjai;Gabor A. Somorjai

  • Chemistry in Two Dimensions: Surfaces

    Gabor A. Somorjai

  • Reaction-Driven Restructuring of Rh-Pd and Pt-Pd Core-Shell Nanoparticles

    Feng Tao;Feng Tao;Michael E. Grass;Michael E. Grass;Yawen Zhang;Yawen Zhang;Yawen Zhang;Derek R. Butcher;Derek R. Butcher

  • Platinum Nanoparticle Shape Effects on Benzene Hydrogenation Selectivity

    Kaitlin M. Bratlie;Hyunjoo Lee;Kyriakos Komvopoulos;Peidong Yang

  • The surface reconstructions of the (100) crystal faces of iridium, platinum and gold. I. Experimental observations and possible structural models

    M. A. Van Hove;R. J. Koestner;P. C. Stair;J. P. Bibérian

  • Structure and Function of the Catalyst and the Promoter in Co—Mo Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

    R Roel Prins;de Vhj Vincent Beer;GA Somorjai

  • Morphological Control of Catalytically Active Platinum Nanocrystals

    Hyunjoo Lee;Susan E. Habas;Sasha Kweskin;Derek Butcher

  • THE SURFACE COMPOSITION OF BINARY SYSTEMS. PREDICTION OF SURFACE PHASE DIAGRAMS OF SOLID SOLUTIONS

    S.H. Overbury;P.A. Bertrand;G.A. Somorjai

  • High-surface-area catalyst design: Synthesis, characterization, and reaction studies of platinum nanoparticles in mesoporous SBA-15 silica

    R. M. Rioux;H. Song;J. D. Hoefelmeyer;P. Yang

  • Size and Shape Control of Metal Nanoparticles for Reaction Selectivity in Catalysis

    Kwangjin An;Gabor A. Somorjai

  • Pt nanocrystals: shape control and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer formation.

    Hyunjoon Song;Franklin Kim;Stephen Connor;Gabor A. Somorjai

  • STUDIES OF POLYMER SURFACES BY SUM FREQUENCY GENERATION VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY

    Zhan Chen;Y. R. Shen;Gabor A. Somorjai

  • Hydrothermal growth of mesoporous SBA-15 silica in the presence of PVP-stabilized Pt nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties.

    Hyunjoon Song;Robert M. Rioux;James D. Hoefelmeyer;Russell Komor

Frequent Co-Authors

M.A. Van Hove
M.A. Van Hove Hong Kong Baptist University
Miquel Salmeron
Miquel Salmeron Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Selim Alayoglu
Selim Alayoglu Northwestern University
Jeong Young Park
Jeong Young Park Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Peidong Yang
Peidong Yang University of California, Berkeley
Kwangjin An
Kwangjin An Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology
Kyriakos Komvopoulos
Kyriakos Komvopoulos University of California, Berkeley
Zhi Liu
Zhi Liu ShanghaiTech University
Wenyu Huang
Wenyu Huang Iowa State University
Robert M. Rioux
Robert M. Rioux Pennsylvania State University

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