Doug Ruthven and Jörg Kärger: Their individual and collective contributions to the field of zeolite science and engineering

Abstract

Prof. Doug Ruthven and Prof. Jörg Kärger are two giants in the field of zeolite science and engineering. Over their academic careers encompassing almost forty years each, they have contributed significantly to the advancement of fundamental understanding of adsorption and diffusion in zeolites as well as their industrial applications. The author, in the beginning of his academic career, had an opportunity to spend two years as a post-doctoral fellow in Prof. Ruthven's laboratory at the University of New Brunswick (1975Brunswick ( -1977. This experience actually motivated me to spend my academic career in working in the field of zeolite adsorption and diffusion. Nearly thirty years later, I spent a year as a Gast Mercator Professor at the University of Leipzig in the laboratory of Prof. Kärger (2005. These two opportunities at two different ends of my academic career provided me with unique perspectives to reflect on the important contributions made by Professors Ruthven and Kärger to the field of zeolite science and technology. This article summarizes my personal perspectives on the breadth and depth of their contributions.

Douglas M. Ruthven: In Memoriam of a Great Scholar and a Caring Friend

“…The event is captured in a special issue of the Adsorp-tion journal. It starts with an editorial by Handan Tezel [68], chair of the organizing committee of this event and one of Doug's former students, followed by a gracious tribute to our work authored by D. B. Shah [57]. As a special surprise, it presents our ''academic trees'', showing our doctoral and post-doctoral (habilitation) fellows.…”

“…Doug Ruthven with some of his former students and post‐doctoral fellows (left, from 57 with permission) including Stefano Brandani, organizer of the Diffusion‐Fundamental II conference in L'Aquila, Italy, 2007 (right, private).…”