Jens Kehlet Nørskov

Jens Kehlet Nørskov (born September 21, 1952, in Denmark) is the Villum Kann Rasmussen professor at the Technical University of Denmark. He is a Danish physicist most notable for his work on theoretical description of surfaces, catalysis, materials, nanostructures, and biomolecules.

Education Nørskov earned his MSc in Physics and Chemistry in 1976 and his PhD in Theoretical Physics in 1979 from the University of Aarhus Denmark under B. I. Lundqvist.

Academic career Nørskov is known for his theoretical work on description of surfaces, catalysis, materials, nanostructures, and biomolecules. His work on computer-based heterogeneous catalysis has in several instances led to the development of new ideas for catalysts for e.g. ammonia synthesis and fuel-cells. He holds honorary doctorates from the Eindhoven University of Technology, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and from the University of Jyväskylä. He is a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, the Danish Academy of Engineering, Academia Europaea and a foreign member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Following his PhD, he served as a research fellow, postdoctoral associate and staff scientist at various institutions – including IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, and Haldor Topsoe. In 1987, Norskov began serving as a research professor at Technical University of Denmark and was named professor of theoretical physics in 1992. In June 2010, he moved to Stanford University to become the Leland T. Edwards Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Founding Director of the SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis at Stanford and SLAC. In July 2018, he moved back to the Technical University of Denmark to hold the Villum Kann Rasmussen Chair. Nørskov was the chair of the Danish National Research Foundation 2019-2023.

Personal life Jens Kehlet Nørskov is married to Bodil Kehlet Nørskov.

Books

Fundamental Concepts in Heterogeneous Catalysis, Jens Nørskov, Felix Studt, Frank Abild-Pedersen, Thomas Bligaard. Chemical Bonding at Surfaces and Interfaces, edited by Anders Nilsson, Lars G.M. Pettersson, Jens Nørskov. Fuel Cell Science: Theory, Fundamentals, and Biocatalysis, edited by Andrzej Wieckowski, Jens Nørskov.

Honours and awards

2024: H.C. Ørsted Medal 2022: ENI award Energy Frontiers prize 2018: Niels Bohr International Gold Medal 2018: ETH Zurich Chemical Engineering Medal 2016: European Inventor Award 2016: Murray Ramsey Award 2015: The Carlsberg Foundation Research Prize 2015: Rigmor and Carl Holst-Knudsen's Science Prize 2015: Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics 2014: Michel Boudart Award for the Advancement of Catalysis 2013: Hagemann Medal 2011: Giuseppe Parravano Memorial Award for Excellence in Catalysis Research 2009: Alwin Mittasch Award (jointly) 2009: Gerhard Ertl Lecture Award 2009: Gabor A. Somorjai Award for Creative Research in Catalysis 2009: Science of Hydrogen and Energy Award 2007: Grundfos Prize 2007: Mulliken medal 2007: Innovation Prize 2003: Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society 2003: Richard A. Glenn Award 1991: Villum Kann Rasmussen's Award 1990: Danish Physical Society's Prize 1989: Samuel Friedman (Rescue) Award 1987: Reinholdt W. Jorch's Award 1979: ECOSS prize