Father of femtochemistry: Who is Ahmed Zewail?

Ahmed Zewail was born on February 26, 1946, in Damanhour, Egypt. He grew up in Alexandria and his father, Hassan Zewail, was a mechanic who assembled motorcycles and bicycles.

Zewail studied at Alexandria University, Egypt, where he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees. He then worked as a lecturer for two years. He then moved to the United States with his wife and completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree at the University of Pennsylvania under his advisor Robin Hochstrasser.

Zewail was appointed to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1976 as an assistant professor of Chemical Physics and remained at Caltech for the remainder of his career. He received citizenship from the United States in 1982.

Ahmed Hassan Zewail (February 26, 1946 – August 2, 2016) was an Egyptian and American chemist, known as the "father of femtochemistry". He was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on femtochemistry and became the first Egyptian and Arab to win a Nobel Prize in a scientific field, and the second African to win a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was the Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry, a professor of physics, and the director of the Physical Biology Center for Ultrafast Science and Technology at the California Institute of Technology.

Zewail's work is considered by many to be the best in the field of femtochemistry. Femtochemistry is the study of chemical reactions measured on extremely fast time scales. He worked extensively in this field. His interest in this field of work arose when he wanted to make an ultrafast laser that could be used in conjunction with a molecular beam. Finally, their work paid off.

In 2010, Zewail was appointed to the group of ambassadors created by the President of the United States to visit countries in North Africa and Southeast Asia. During this period, it was claimed that he was aiming for a candidacy for the Egyptian Presidency. However, he denied it, saying that it would only serve Egypt from a scientific perspective. He died on August 2, 2016, in Pasadena, California, USA, at the age of 70, due to respiratory failure. He was buried in the family cemetery after the military funeral held in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.