We honor the memory of Ipatieff Professor Emeritus Wolfgang M. H. Sachtler who passed away on Tuesday, January 9, 2017. Professor Sachtler was the first director of the Center for Catalysis and Surface Science (CCSS) when it became a Northwestern University Research Center (URC) in 1985. CCSS is currently a portfolio center of the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN).
Sachtler was named the third Ipatieff Professor after Robert Burwell retired in 1980. Sachtler recently attended the 30th anniversary reception and dinner for CCSS in August of 2015 with his wife Anna-Lore and Lou Alred who is a former Chemistry Chair at Northwestern. Funeral arrangements are private and a memorial service at the university is still pending. Below is an announcement from Peter Stair.
Sachtler was internationally known for his scientific and technical contributions to the field of heterogeneous catalysis, which is an essential technology for the production of fuels and chemicals. Sachtler is perhaps best known for his insightful research into the importance of available metal surface area dimensions on catalytic function, referred to as the "ensemble size effect." Toward the end of his scientific career he made major contributions to the discovery and understanding of catalysts that remove harmful, smog-generating pollutants from vehicle exhaust.
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A memorial service for Wolfgang Sachtler will be held Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 2:00-5:00 pm at Donnellan Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL 60077. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to a charity of your choice in his name. The Chicago Tribune obituary and online guest book can be found here.
