Mario J. Molina: 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Mario José Molina was a physical chemist who played a pivotal role in the discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole and was a co-recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his role in discovering the threat to the Earth’s ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases.

Molina came to the United State to pursue a graduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley in 1968, where he obtained his PhD in physical chemistry. Throughout his years at Berkeley, he participated in various research projects such as the study of molecular dynamics using chemical lasers and investigation of the distribution of internal energy in the products of chemical and photochemical reactions. Molina received more than thirty honorary degrees.

In August 2013, US president Barack Obama announced Molina as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, saying in the press release (in part): “Mario Molina is a visionary chemist and environmental scientist. Born in Mexico, Dr. Molina came to the United States to pursue his graduate degree. He later earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering how chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer.”