View source for Mario Molina

{{Short description|Mexican chemist (1943–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox scientist
| image             = Mario Molina 1c389 8387.jpg
| caption           = Molina in 2011
| birth_name        = Mario José Molina Henríquez
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1943|3|19|df=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Mexico City]], Mexico
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2020|10|7|1943|3|19|df=y}}
| death_place       = Mexico City, Mexico
| education         = {{ubl|item_style={{longitem}}|[[National Autonomous University of Mexico]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])|[[University of Freiburg]] ([[Master of Science|MS]])|[[University of California, Berkeley]] ([[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])}}
| thesis_title      = Vibrational Populations Through Chemical Laser Studies: Theoretical and Experimental Extensions of the Equal-gain Technique
| thesis_url        = https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21251999
| thesis_year       = 1972
| doctoral_advisor  = [[George C. Pimentel]]
| doctoral_students = [[Renyi Zhang]]
| website           = {{Official website|https://centromariomolina.org/english2/}}
| field             = [[Chemistry]]
| spouse            = {{ubl|{{marriage|Luisa Tan|1973|2005|end=div}}|{{marriage|Guadalupe Alvarez|2006}}}}
| work_institutions = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|''See list''}}|{{ubl|item_style={{longitem}}|[[University of California, San Diego]]|[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]|[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]|[[California Institute of Technology]]|[[University of California, Irvine]]|[[National Autonomous University of Mexico]]<ref name="OH" /><ref name="Interview" />}}}}
| prizes            = {{collapsible list|title={{nobold|''See list''}}|{{ubl|item_style={{longitem}}|[[Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement]] (1983)|[[Newcomb Cleveland Prize]] (1987)|[[NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal]] (1989)<ref name="mit">{{cite web |author=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |title=MIT's Mario Molina wins Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovery of ozone depletion |url=http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1995/molina.html |date=11 October 1995 |access-date=31 May 2008 |author-link=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226043802/http://news.mit.edu/1995/molina |url-status=live }}</ref>|[[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] (1995)|[[Willard Gibbs Award]] (1998)|[[United Nations Environment Programme|UN Environment Programme Sasakawa Environment Prize]] (1999)|[[Heinz Award]] in the Environment (2003)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heinzawards.net/recipients/mario-molina |title=The Heinz Awards, Mario Molina profile |access-date=22 September 2009 |archive-date=22 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022151606/http://www.heinzawards.net/recipients/mario-molina |url-status=dead }}</ref>|[[Volvo Environment Prize]] (2004)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.environment-prize.com/ |title=Volvo Environment Prize |access-date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109192920/http://www.environment-prize.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>|[[Presidential Medal of Freedom]] (2013)<ref name=WH20130808>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse-archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/08/president-obama-names-presidential-medal-freedom-recipients |title=President Obama Names Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients |publisher=Office of the Press Secretary, The White House |date=8 August 2013 |access-date=9 August 2013 |archive-date=26 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226043805/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/08/president-obama-names-presidential-medal-freedom-recipients |url-status=live }}</ref>}}}}
}}
{{external media
| float = upright
| headerimage= [[File:Ozone hole recovery.jpg|frameless|alt=|link=File:Ozone hole recovery.jpg]]
| audio1 = [https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/podcast/whatever-happened-to-the-ozone-hole "Whatever Happened to the Ozone Hole?: An environmental success story"], Distillations Podcast 230, [[Science History Institute]], 17 April 2018 |audio2 = [https://www.history.com/history-this-week "The Sky Is Falling"], History This Week }}

'''Mario José Molina-Pasquel Henríquez'''{{family name footnote|lang=Spanish|Molina-Pasquel|Henríquez}} (19 March 1943{{spnd}}7 October 2020)<ref>{{cite news |title=Mario Molina, Mexico chemistry Nobel winner, dies at 77 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/mario-molina-mexico-chemistry-nobel-winner-dies-77-73488415 |access-date=8 October 2020 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ABC News (USA) |date=7 October 2020 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070339/https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/mario-molina-mexico-chemistry-nobel-winner-dies-77-73488415 |url-status=live }}</ref> was a Mexican physical chemist. He played a pivotal role in the discovery of the [[Ozone depletion|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. He was the first Mexican-born scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the third Mexican-born person to receive a Nobel prize.<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 October 2020|title=Mario Molina, ganador del Premio Nobel 1995, muere a causa de un infarto|url=https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/ciencia-y-salud/muere-mario-molina-ganador-del-premio-nobel-1995|access-date=10 March 2021|website=El Universal|language=es|quote=Mario Molina fue uno de los tres mexicanos que han recibido un Premio Nobel (1995) junto con el poeta Octavio Paz (Literatura, 1990) y el diplomático Alfonso García Robles (de la Paz, 1982).|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201008061246/https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/ciencia-y-salud/muere-mario-molina-ganador-del-premio-nobel-1995|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[La Jornada]] |title=Ojalá que mi premio estimule la investigación en México |date=12 October 1995 |last=García Hernández |first=Arturo |language=es |url=http://www.nobel.unam.mx/molina/entrevistas.html |quote=Mario Molina, primer mexicano que obtiene el premio Nobel de Química... |access-date=29 September 2009 |archive-date=16 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916100229/http://www.nobel.unam.mx/molina/entrevistas.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mario Molina {{!}} Inside Science|url=https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Inside-Science/58/Mario-Molina/211|access-date=8 October 2020|website=Visionlearning|language=en|archive-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609071229/https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Inside-Science/58/Mario-Molina/211|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In his career, Molina held research and teaching positions at [[University of California, Irvine]], [[California Institute of Technology]], [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], [[University of California, San Diego]], and the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]]. Molina was also Director of the Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment in Mexico City. Molina was a climate policy advisor to the [[President of Mexico]], [[Enrique Peña Nieto]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Davenport|first=Coral|date=27 May 2014|title=Governments Await Obama's Move on Carbon to Gauge U.S. Climate Efforts|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/politics/governments-await-obamas-move-on-carbon-to-gauge-us-climate-efforts.html|access-date=17 February 2022|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070341/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/us/politics/governments-await-obamas-move-on-carbon-to-gauge-us-climate-efforts.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life==
Molina was born in Mexico City to Roberto Molina Pasquel and Leonor Henríquez. His father was a lawyer and diplomat who served as an ambassador to Ethiopia, Australia and the Philippines.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Mario Molina – Biography, Facts and Pictures |url=https://www.famousscientists.org/mario-molina/ |access-date=7 December 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=7 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207184238/https://www.famousscientists.org/mario-molina/ |url-status=live }}</ref> His mother was a family manager. With considerably different interests than his parents, Mario Molina went on to make one of the biggest discoveries in environmental science.

Mario Molina attended both elementary and primary school in Mexico.<ref name="autobiography">{{cite web |last=Molina |first=Mario |year=2007 |title=Autobiography |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/molina/auto-biography/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070343/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/molina/biographical/ |archive-date=8 October 2020 |access-date=30 May 2008 |publisher=[[The Nobel Foundation]]}}</ref> However, before even attending high school, Mario Molina had developed a deep interest in chemistry. As a child he converted a bathroom in his home into his own little laboratory, using toy microscopes and chemistry sets. Ester Molina, Mario's aunt, and an already established chemist, nurtured his interests and aided him in completing more complex chemistry experiments.<ref name=":1" /> At this time, Mario knew he wanted to pursue a career in chemistry, and at the age of 11, he was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland at [[Institut auf dem Rosenberg]], where he learnt to speak German. Before this, Mario had initially wanted to become a professional violinist, but his love for chemistry triumphed over that interest.<ref name="autobiography" /> At first Mario was disappointed when he arrived at the boarding school in Switzerland due to the fact that most of his classmates did not have the same interest in science as he did.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/molina/biographical/ | title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1995 | access-date=8 October 2020 | archive-date=8 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008192450/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/molina/biographical/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

Molina's early career consisted of research at various academic institutions. Molina went on to earn his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at the [[National Autonomous University of Mexico]] (UNAM) in 1965. Following this, Molina studied polymerization kinetics at the [[Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg]], West Germany,<ref name="autobiography" /> for two years. Finally, he was accepted for graduate study at the University of California, Berkeley. After earning his doctorate he made his way to UC Irvine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 June 2016 |title=Mario Molina |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/mario-molina |access-date=12 December 2022 |website=Science History Institute |language=en |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025190316/https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/mario-molina |url-status=live }}</ref> He then returned to Mexico where he kickstarted the first chemical engineering program at his alma mater. This was only the beginning of his chemistry endeavors.

== Career ==
[[File:Mario Molina 1c389 8429.jpg|alt=photograph|left|thumb|upright|Molina at the 2011 Nobel Laureate Globalsymposium]]
Mario Molina began his studies at the [[University of California at Berkeley]] in 1968, where he would obtain 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.<ref name="autobiography" /> Throughout this journey is where he worked with his professor and mentor [[George C. Pimentel]] who grew his love for chemistry even further.<ref name="autobiography" /> After completing his PhD in physical chemistry, in 1973, he enrolled in a research program at UC Berkeley, with [[Sherwood Rowland]]. The topic of interest was Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) . The two would later on make one of the largest discoveries in atmospheric chemistry. They developed their theory of ozone depletion, which later influenced the mass public to reduce their use of CFCs. This kickstarted his career as a widely known chemist.

Between 1974 and 2004, Molina variously held research and teaching posts at University of California, Irvine, the [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] at [[Caltech]], and the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), where he held a joint appointment in the Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and the Department of Chemistry.<ref name="OH">{{cite web |author=Center for Oral History |title=Mario J. Molina |url=https://oh.sciencehistory.org/oral-histories/molina-mario-j |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070354/https://oh.sciencehistory.org/oral-histories/molina-mario-j |archive-date=8 October 2020 |access-date=23 October 2018 |website=[[Science History Institute]]}}</ref> On 1 July 2004, Molina joined the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at [[University of California, San Diego]], and the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the [[Scripps Institution of Oceanography]].<ref name="McDonald">{{cite news |last1=McDonald |first1=Kim |title=Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist Joins UCSD Faculty |url=https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/science/mcmolina.asp |access-date=24 October 2018 |work=UCSD News |date=5 February 2004 |archive-date=1 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101234146/https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/archive/newsrel/science/mcmolina.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
In addition he established a non-profit organization, which opened the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies in Energy and the Environment ({{langx|es|link=no|Centro Mario Molina para Estudios Estratégicos sobre Energía y Medio Ambiente}}) in Mexico City in 2005. Molina served as its director.<ref name="Denmark">{{cite web |last1=Denmark |first1=Bonnie |title=Mario Molina: Atmospheric Chemistry to Change Global Policy |url=https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Inside-Science/58/Mario-Molina/211 |website=VisionLearning |access-date=24 October 2018 |archive-date=24 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024232053/https://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Inside-Science/58/Mario-Molina/211 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Molina served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as [[Society for Science & the Public]], from 2000 to 2005.<ref name="OSTI">{{cite journal |title=Mario J. Molina Symposium Atmospheric& Chemistry, Climate, and Policy|year=2016 |url=https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1333723 |website=U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information |doi=10.2172/1333723 |access-date=25 October 2018|last1=Zhang |first1=Renyi |osti=1333723 |doi-access=free }}</ref> 
He also served on the board of directors of the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]] (2004–2014),<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Board Members |url=https://www.macfound.org/about/our-history/past-board-members/ |website=MacArthur Foundation |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070413/https://www.macfound.org/about/our-history/past-board-members/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and as a member of the MacArthur Foundation's Institutional Policy Committee and its Committee on Global Security and Sustainability.<ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Directors |url=http://www.infominder.com/webminder/viewChangesFrame.do?cmd=ViewChanges&minderId=95940&aref=jui22105m |website=MacArthur Foundation |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071401/http://www.infominder.com/webminder/viewChangesFrame.do?cmd=ViewChanges&minderId=95940&aref=jui22105m |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Molina was nominated to the [[Pontifical Academy of Sciences]] as of 24 July 2000.<ref name="Pontifical">{{cite web |title=Mario José Molina |url=http://www.pas.va/content/accademia/en/academicians/ordinary/molina.html |website=Pontifical Academy of Sciences |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=27 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027121953/http://www.pas.va/content/accademia/en/academicians/ordinary/molina.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He served as a co-chair of the Vatican workshop and co-author of the report ''Well Under 2 Degrees Celsius: Fast Action Policies to Protect People and the Planet from Extreme Climate Change'' (2017) with [[Veerabhadran Ramanathan]] and [[Durwood Zaelke]].  The report proposed 12 scalable and practical solutions which are part of a three-lever cooling strategy to [[Climate change mitigation|mitigate climate change]].<ref name="Under">{{cite web |title=Vatican Pontifical Academy of Sciences Proposes Practical Solutions to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change |url=http://www.igsd.org/vatican-pontifical-academy-of-sciences-proposes-practical-solutions-to-prevent-catastrophic-climate-change/ |access-date=25 October 2018 |website=Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development |date=9 November 2017 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071054/http://www.igsd.org/vatican-pontifical-academy-of-sciences-proposes-practical-solutions-to-prevent-catastrophic-climate-change/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vatican Pontifical Academy of Sciences to publish Well Under 2C: Ten Solutions for Carbon Neutrality & Climate Stability |url=http://www.igsd.org/vatican-pontifical-academy-of-sciences-to-publish-well-under-2c-ten-solutions-for-carbon-neutrality-climate/ |website=Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development |date=13 March 2018 |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071418/http://www.igsd.org/vatican-pontifical-academy-of-sciences-to-publish-well-under-2c-ten-solutions-for-carbon-neutrality-climate/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Molina was named by US president [[Barack Obama]] to form a transition team on environmental issues in 2008.<ref name="Brown">{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Susan |title=Presidential Medal of Freedom to be Awarded to Two UC San Diego Professors |url=https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/presidential_medal_of_freedom_to_be_awarded_to_two_uc_san_diego_professors |access-date=24 October 2018 |work=UC San Diego News Center |date=9 August 2013 |archive-date=24 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024073750/https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/presidential_medal_of_freedom_to_be_awarded_to_two_uc_san_diego_professors |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Under President Obama, he was a member of the [[United States President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology]].<ref name="PCAST">{{cite web |title=PCAST Members |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/about/members |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070415/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/about/members |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |work=[[Office of Science and Technology Policy]] |url-status=live }}</ref>

Molina sat on the board of directors for [[Xyleco]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Board of Directory|url=https://www.xyleco.com/board/|access-date=9 January 2019|publisher=Xyleco|archive-date=7 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107181029/https://www.xyleco.com/board/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He contributed to the content of the papal [[encyclical]] [[Laudato Si']].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Importance of the Encyclical Laudato si' in the Context of the Current Scientific Findings |url=http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/events/2015/laudatosi.pdf |access-date=7 April 2021 |author=The Pontifical Academy of Sciences |archive-date=8 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408025349/http://www.casinapioiv.va/content/accademia/en/events/2015/laudatosi.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A short text about Mario Molina |last=Léna |first=Pierre |url=https://www.oce.global/en/news/short-text-about-mario-molina-pierre-lena |access-date=7 April 2021 |date=17 October 2020 |archive-date=8 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408024637/https://www.oce.global/en/news/short-text-about-mario-molina-pierre-lena |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Mario Molina supo llevar sus creencias religiosas al ámbito científico |last=Vera |first=Rodrigo |url=https://www.proceso.com.mx/ciencia-tecnologia/2020/10/8/mario-molina-supo-llevar-sus-creencias-religiosas-al-ambito-cientifico-cem-250623.html |access-date=7 April 2021 |date=8 October 2020 |archive-date=8 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210408025222/https://www.proceso.com.mx/ciencia-tecnologia/2020/10/8/mario-molina-supo-llevar-sus-creencias-religiosas-al-ambito-cientifico-cem-250623.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Murió Mario Molina, quien asesoró al Papa Francisco sobre medio ambiente |url=https://desdelafe.mx/noticias/iglesia-en-el-mundo/murio-mario-molina-asesor-del-papa-francisco-sobre-medio-ambiente/ |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=7 October 2020 |access-date=7 April 2021 |archive-date=28 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028164920/https://desdelafe.mx/noticias/iglesia-en-el-mundo/murio-mario-molina-asesor-del-papa-francisco-sobre-medio-ambiente/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, Mario Molina contributed to research regarding the importance of wearing face masks amid the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. The research article titled "Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19" was published in the [[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America]] Journal in collaboration with Renyi Zhang, Yixin Li, Annie L. Zhang and Yuan Wang.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Zhang|first1=Renyi|last2=Li|first2=Yixin|last3=Zhang|first3=Annie L.|last4=Wang|first4=Yuan|last5=Molina|first5=Mario J.|date=30 June 2020|title=Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=117|issue=26|pages=14857–14863|doi=10.1073/pnas.2009637117|issn=0027-8424|pmid=32527856|pmc=7334447|bibcode=2020PNAS..11714857Z |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Work on CFCs==
Molina joined the lab of Professor F. Sherwood Rowland in 1973 as a postdoctoral fellow. Here, Molina continued Rowland's pioneering research into "hot atom" chemistry, which is the study of chemical properties of atoms with excess translational energy owing to radioactive processes.<ref name="Chemistry 1995 P 245-249">(Nobel Lectures in Chemistry (1991–1995)). (1997). World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte.Ltd. River Edge, NJ. P 245-249.</ref><ref name="AOA">{{cite web |title=Mario J. Molina, Ph.D. Biography and Interview |url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/mario-j-molina-ph-d/#interview/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306141831/http://www.achievement.org/achiever/mario-j-molina-ph-d/#interview/ |archive-date=6 March 2019 |access-date=9 May 2019 |website=achievement.org |publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]}}</ref>

This study soon led to research into chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), apparently harmless gases that were used in refrigerants, aerosol sprays, and the making of plastic foams.<ref name="ScienceHistoryBio">{{cite web |date=12 December 2017 |title=Mario Molina |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/mario-molina |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025190316/https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/mario-molina |archive-date=25 October 2018 |access-date=25 October 2018 |website=Science History Institute}}</ref> CFCs were being released by human activity and were known to be accumulating in the atmosphere. The basic scientific question Molina asked was "What is the consequence of society releasing something to the environment that wasn't there before?"<ref name="AOA" />

Rowland and Molina had investigated compounds similar to CFCs before. Together they developed the CFC ozone depletion theory, by combining basic scientific knowledge about the chemistry of ozone, CFCs and atmospheric conditions with computer modelling. First Molina tried to figure out how CFCs could be decomposed. At lower levels of the atmosphere, they were inert. Molina realized that if CFCs released into the atmosphere do not decay by other processes, they will continually rise to higher altitudes. Higher in the atmosphere, different conditions apply. The highest levels of the stratosphere are exposed to the sun's ultraviolet light. A thin layer of ozone floating high in the stratosphere protects lower levels of the atmosphere from that type of radiation.<ref name="ScienceHistoryBio" />

Molina theorized that photons from ultraviolet light, known to break down oxygen molecules, could also break down CFCs, releasing a number of products including [[chlorine]] atoms into the stratosphere. Chlorine atoms (Cl) are [[Radical (chemistry)|radicals]]: they have an unpaired electron and are very reactive. Chlorine atoms react easily with ozone molecules (O<sub>3</sub>), removing one oxygen atom to leave O<sub>2</sub> and [[chlorine monoxide]] (ClO).<ref name="ScienceHistoryBio" /><ref name="Wiberg">{{cite book |last1=Holleman |first1=Arnold Frederick |title=Inorganic chemistry |last2=Aylett |first2=Bernhard J. |last3=Brewer |first3=William |last4=Eagleson |first4=Mary |last5=Wiberg |first5=Egon |date=2001 |publisher=Academic Press |edition=1st English |page=462}}</ref>

:Cl· + {{chem|O|3}} → ClO· + {{chem|O|2}}

ClO is also a radical, which reacts with another ozone molecule to release two more O<sub>2</sub> molecules and a Cl atom.

:ClO· + {{chem|O|3}} → Cl· + 2{{chem|O|2}}

The radical Cl atom is not consumed by this pair of reactions, so it remains in the system.<ref name="ScienceHistoryBio" /><ref name="Wiberg" />

Molina and Rowland predicted that chlorine atoms, produced by this decomposition of CFCs, would act as an ongoing [[catalyst]] for the destruction of ozone. When they calculated the amounts involved, they realized that CFCs could start a seriously damaging chain reaction to the ozone layer in the stratosphere.<ref name="Landmark" /><ref name="Chemistry 1995 P 245-249" /><ref name="AOA" />

In 1974, as a postdoctoral researcher at [[University of California, Irvine]], Molina and [[F. Sherwood Rowland]] co-authored a paper in the journal ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]] ''highlighting the threat of CFCs to the ozone layer in the [[stratosphere]].<ref name="Molina">{{cite journal|author=Mario Molina and [[F. Sherwood Rowland|FS Rowland]]|date=28 June 1974|title=Stratospheric Sink for Chlorofluoromethanes: Chlorine Atom-Catalysed Destruction of Ozone|journal=Nature|volume=249|issue=5460|pages=810–2|doi=10.1038/249810a0|bibcode=1974Natur.249..810M|s2cid=32914300 |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13q9n640 }}</ref> At the time, CFCs were widely used as [[chemical]] [[propellant]]s and [[refrigeration|refrigerant]]s. Molina and Rowland followed up the short ''Nature'' paper with a 150-page report for the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)]], which they made available at the September 1974 meeting of the [[American Chemical Society]] in [[Atlantic City]]. This report and an ACS-organized press conference, in which they called for a complete ban on further releases of CFCs into the atmosphere, brought national attention.<ref name="CC">{{cite journal|date=7 December 1987|title=This Week's Citation Classic: Rowland F S & Molina M J. Chiorofluoromethanes in the environment. Rev. Geophvs. Space Phys. 13: 1–35. 1975. Department of Chemistry. University of California. Irvine. CA|url=http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1987/A1987K930400001.pdf|journal=Current Contents|volume=49|page=12|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-date=12 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412015548/http://garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1987/A1987K930400001.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Rowland and Molina's findings were disputed by commercial manufacturers and chemical industry groups, and a public consensus on the need for action only began to emerge in 1976 with the publication of a review of the science by the [[National Academy of Sciences]]. Rowland and Molina's work was further supported by evidence of the long-term decrease in stratospheric ozone over Antarctica, published by [[Joseph C. Farman]] and his co-authors in ''Nature'' in 1985. Ongoing work led to the adoption of the [[Montreal Protocol]] (an agreement to cut CFC production and use) by 56 countries in 1987, and to further steps towards the worldwide elimination of CFCs from aerosol cans and refrigerators. By establishing this protocol, the amount of CFCs being emitted into the atmosphere decreased significantly, and while doing so, it has paced the rate of ozone depletion and even slowed climate change.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2022 |title=Has the Montreal Protocol been successful in reducing ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere? |url=https://csl.noaa.gov/assessments/ozone/2006/chapters/Q16.pdf |url-status=live |website=NOAA Chemical Sciences Laboratory |access-date=7 December 2022 |archive-date=9 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209123059/https://csl.noaa.gov/assessments/ozone/2006/chapters/Q16.pdf }}</ref><ref name="NYTimes" />  It is for this work that Molina later shared the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] in 1995 with [[Paul J. Crutzen]] and [[F. Sherwood Rowland]].<ref name="Landmark">{{cite web|title=Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion: A National Historic Chemical Landmark|url=https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/cfcs-ozone.html|access-date=23 October 2018|work=International Historic Chemical Landmarks|publisher=American Chemical Society|archive-date=31 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231235259/https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/cfcs-ozone.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The citation specifically recognized him and his co-awardees for "their work in atmospheric chemistry, particularly concerning the formation and decomposition of ozone."<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1995|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1995/summary/|access-date=8 October 2020|publisher=Nobel Foundation|language=en-US|archive-date=10 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810002846/https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following this in 1985, after [[Joe Farman|Joseph Farman]] discovered a hole in the ozone layer in Antarctica, Mario Molina led a research team to further investigate the cause of rapid ozone depletion in Antarctica. It was found that the stratospheric conditions in Antarctica were ideal for chlorine activation, which ultimately causes ozone depletion.<ref name=":1" />

After the successful implementation of the '''Montreal Protocol''', Molina's continued advocacy for climate action helped shape global environmental policies. His work also contributed to the development of international climate agreements, such as the '''Paris Agreement''' in 2015, which aimed to limit global temperature rise and reduce emissions, including those of harmful chemicals like CFCs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mario Molina and the Ozone Hole |url=https://www.sciencehistory.org/education/scientific-biographies/mario-molina |accessdate=2025-03-02 |website=Science History Institute}}</ref>

==Honors==
[[File:mario molina.jpg|thumb|right|Molina (left) with his countryman [[Luis E. Miramontes]], co-inventor of the first [[oral contraceptive]], {{circa|1995}}]]
Molina received numerous awards and honors,<ref name="OH"/><ref name="Interview">{{cite book |last1=Caruso |first1=David J. |url=https://oh.sciencehistory.org/sites/default/files/interview_pdf_abstract/molina_m_0896_suppl_2.pdf |title=Mario J. Molina, Transcript of an Interview Conducted by David J. Caruso and Jody A. Roberts at The Mario Molina Center, Mexico City, Mexico, on 6 and 7 May 2013 |last2=Roberts |first2=Jody A. |date=7 May 2013 |publisher=[[Chemical Heritage Foundation]] |place=Philadelphia, PA |access-date=24 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070410/https://oh.sciencehistory.org/sites/default/files/interview_pdf_abstract/molina_m_0896_suppl_2.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> including sharing the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Paul J. Crutzen and F. Sherwood Rowland for their discovery of the role of [[chlorofluorocarbon|CFCs]] in [[ozone depletion]].<ref name="mit"/>

Molina was elected to the [[United States National Academy of Sciences]] in 1993.<ref name="NAS">{{cite web |title=Mario J. Molina |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/52447.html |website=National Academy of Sciences |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=6 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006114518/http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/52447.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
He was elected to the United States [[Institute of Medicine]] in 1996,<ref name="Silverman">{{cite news |last1=Silverman |first1=Edward |title=Institute Of Medicine Increases Its Percentages Of Minority, Women Members In Latest Election |url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news/institute-of-medicine-increases-its-percentages-of-minority-women-members-in-latest-election-57737 |access-date=25 October 2018 |work=The Scientist |date=25 November 1996 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070420/https://www.the-scientist.com/news/institute-of-medicine-increases-its-percentages-of-minority-women-members-in-latest-election-57737 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
and [[Colegio Nacional (Mexico)|The National College of Mexico]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web |title=Membros: Mario Molina |url=http://colnal.mx/members/mario-molina |website=El Colegio Nacional |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071007/http://colnal.mx/members/mario-molina |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
In 2007, he was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Mario+J.+Molina&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=10 May 2021|website=search.amphilsoc.org|archive-date=18 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618002706/https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Mario+J.+Molina&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|url-status=live}}</ref> He was also a member of the [[Mexican Academy of Sciences]].<ref name="OH"/>
Molina was a fellow of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] and co-chaired the 2014 AAAS Climate Science Panel, ''What We Know: The reality, risks and response to climate change.''<ref>{{cite web |title=What We Know: The reality, risks and response to climate change |url=http://whatweknow.aaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/whatweknow_website.pdf |website=What We Know |publisher=AAAS |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=11 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211214752/http://whatweknow.aaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/whatweknow_website.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Molina won the 1987 [[Gustavus Esselen|Esselen Award]] of the Northeast section of the American Chemical Society, the 1988 [[Newcomb Cleveland Prize]] from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 1989 [[NASA]] Medal for Exceptional Scientific Advancement and the 1989 United Nations Environmental Programme [[Global 500 Roll of Honour|Global 500 Award]]. In 1990, [[The Pew Charitable Trusts]] Scholars Program in Conservation and the Environment honored him as one of ten environmental scientists and awarded him a $150,000 grant.<ref name="OH"/><ref>Oakes, Elizabeth. (2002). A to Z of Chemists. Facts on File Inc. New York City. P 143-145.</ref><ref name="PEW">{{cite web |title=Mario Molino |url=https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/marine-fellows/fellows-directory/1990/mario-molino |website=PEW |access-date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071316/https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/marine-fellows/fellows-directory/1990/mario-molino |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1996, Molina received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement|website=achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration|access-date=25 March 2020|archive-date=15 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161215023909/https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#science-exploration|url-status=live}}</ref> He received the 1998 [[Willard Gibbs Award]] from the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society<ref name=GibbsMedal>{{cite web |url=http://chicagoacs.net/Gibbs_history.html |title=History of the Willard Gibbs Medal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723041502/http://chicagoacs.net/Gibbs_history.html |archive-date=23 July 2011 }}</ref> and the 1998 American Chemical Society Prize for Creative Advances in Environment Technology and Science.<ref name=ACSaward>{{cite web |url=http://webapps.acs.org/findawards/detail.jsp?ContentId=CTP_004504 |title=ACS Award in Environment |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514122531/http://webapps.acs.org/findawards/detail.jsp?ContentId=CTP_004504 |archive-date=14 May 2014 }}</ref> In 2003, Molina received the 9th Annual [[Heinz Awards|Heinz Award]] in the Environment.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Molina shares $250,000 Heinz Award|url=https://news.mit.edu/2003/heinz|access-date=8 October 2020|website=MIT News {{!}} Massachusetts Institute of Technology|date=21 February 2003 |language=en|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070425/https://news.mit.edu/2003/heinz|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Asteroid]] [[9680 Molina]] is named in his honor.<ref name="JPL">{{cite web | author=[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]] Small-Body Database Browser | title=9680 Molina (3557 P-L) | url=http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=9680 | access-date=30 May 2008 | archive-date=25 September 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925104312/http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=9680 | url-status=live }}</ref>

On 8 August 2013, US president Barack Obama announced Molina as a recipient of the [[Presidential Medal of Freedom]],<ref name="Robbins">{{cite news |last1=Robbins |first1=Gary |title=White House honors Molina, Ride |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/sdut-medal-of-freedom-obama-2013nov20-story.html |access-date=25 October 2018 |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |date=20 November 2013 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070416/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/science/sdut-medal-of-freedom-obama-2013nov20-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> saying in the press release:

{{blockquote|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.  Dr. Molina is a professor at the University of California, San Diego; Director of the Mario Molina Center for Energy and Environment; and a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.<ref name="WH20130808"/>
Molina was one of twenty-two Nobel Laureates who signed the third [[Humanism and Its Aspirations|Humanist Manifesto]] in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Notable Signers|url=http://www.americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_III/Notable_Signers|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005105825/http://www.americanhumanist.org/Humanism/Humanist_Manifesto_III/Notable_Signers|archive-date=5 October 2012|access-date=4 October 2012|work=Humanism and Its Aspirations|publisher=American Humanist Association}}</ref>}}

Mario Molina is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award ([[Champions of the Earth]]) in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Environment |first1=U. N. |title=Mario José Molina-Pasquel Henríquez |url=https://www.unep.org/championsofearth/laureates/2014/mario-jose-molina-pasquel-henriquez |website=Champions of the Earth |language=en |date=22 August 2019 |access-date=22 July 2022 |archive-date=22 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722103957/https://www.unep.org/championsofearth/laureates/2014/mario-jose-molina-pasquel-henriquez |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 19 March 2023, Molina was the subject of a [[Google Doodle]] in Mexico, the United States, Brazil, India, Germany, France, and other countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mario Molina's 80th Birthday |url=https://doodles.google/doodle/mario-molinas-80th-birthday/|access-date=19 March 2023|archive-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319095649/https://www.google.com/doodles/mario-molinas-80th-birthday|url-status=live }}</ref>

===Honorary degrees===
Molina received more than thirty honorary degrees.<ref name="OH"/> 
* Yale University (1997)<ref name="DoctorateYale">{{cite web|url=http://ris-systech2.its.yale.edu/hondegrees/hondegrees.asp |title=Honorary degrees by Yale |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521015848/http://ris-systech2.its.yale.edu/hondegrees/hondegrees.asp |archive-date=21 May 2015 }}</ref>
* Tufts University (2003)<ref name="DoctorateTufts">{{cite web |url=http://trustees.tufts.edu/hondegree/degrees/ |title=Honorary degrees by Tufts |access-date=21 May 2017 |archive-date=23 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523181921/http://trustees.tufts.edu/hondegree/degrees/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Duke University (2009)<ref name="DoctorateDuke">{{cite web |url=http://today.duke.edu/2009/01/honorary.html |title=Honorary degrees granted by Duke in 2009 |access-date=27 February 2013 |archive-date=5 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052759/http://today.duke.edu/2009/01/honorary.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Harvard University (2012)<ref name="DoctorateHarvard">{{cite web |url=http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/05/harvard-honorary-degrees-commencement-2012 |title=Honorary degrees granted by Harvard in 2012 |access-date=27 February 2013 |archive-date=18 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118212054/http://harvardmagazine.com/2012/05/harvard-honorary-degrees-commencement-2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* Mexican Federal Universities: National of Mexico (1996), Metropolitana (2004), Chapingo (2007), National Polytechnic (2009)
* Mexican State Universities: Hidalgo (2002),<ref name="DoctorateHidalgo">{{cite web |url=http://www.uaeh.edu.mx/docencia/honoris_causa/molina.html |title=Honorary Doctorate by Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo (spanish) |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-date=27 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127215847/http://www.uaeh.edu.mx/docencia/honoris_causa/molina.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> State of Mexico (2006),<ref name="DoctorateEstadoMexico">{{cite web |url=http://www.uaemex.mx/rector/sitiorector/discursos/archivos/Honoris%20Causa%20Mario%20Molina.pdf |title=Honorary Doctorate by Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico (spanish) |date=10 January 2024 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Michoacan (2009),<ref name="DoctorateMichoacan">{{cite web |url=http://www.mimorelia.com/noticias/45339 |title=Honorary Doctorate by Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo (spanish) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222160521/http://www.mimorelia.com/noticias/45339 |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref> Guadalajara (2010),<ref name="DoctorateGuadalajara">{{cite web |url=http://www.medios.udg.mx/node/2746 |title=Honorary Doctorate by Universidad de Guadalajara (spanish) |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-date=22 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222172124/http://www.medios.udg.mx/node/2746 |url-status=dead }}</ref> San Luis Potosí (2011)<ref name="DoctorateSLP">{{cite web |url=http://www.globalmedia.mx/sanluis/vernoticia.php?id=27969 |title=Honorary Doctorate by Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi (spanish) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222063510/http://www.globalmedia.mx/sanluis/vernoticia.php?id=27969 |archive-date=22 February 2014 }}</ref>
* U.S. Universities: Miami (2001), Florida International (2002), Southern Florida (2005), Claremont Graduate (announced 2013)
* U.S. Colleges: Connecticut (1998), Trinity (2001), Washington (2011), [[Whittier College|Whittier]] (2012),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whittier.edu/alumni/poetnation/honorary|title=Honorary Degrees {{!}} Whittier College|website=www.whittier.edu|access-date=6 December 2019|archive-date=25 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200325033950/https://www.whittier.edu/alumni/poetnation/honorary|url-status=dead}}</ref> Williams (2015)
* Canadian Universities: Calgary (1997), Waterloo (2002), British Columbia (2011)
* European Universities: East Anglia (1996), Alfonso X (2009), Complutense of Madrid (2012), Free of Brussels (2010),

== Personal life ==
Molina married fellow chemist Luisa Y. Tan in July 1973. They met each other when Molina was pursuing his PhD at the [[University of California, Berkeley]]. They moved to [[Irvine, California]] in the fall of that year.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite web | title=Molina, Mario (1943- ) | website=Encyclopedia.com | date=3 September 2025 | url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/molina-mario-1943 |archive-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024035429/https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/molina-mario-1943|url-status=live | access-date=2025-09-17}}</ref> The couple divorced in 2005.<ref name=NYTimes/> Luisa Tan Molina is now the lead scientist of the Molina Center for Strategic Studies in Energy and the Environment in [[La Jolla, California]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Molina Center for Strategic Studies in Energy and the Environment|url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-2020378|access-date=25 October 2018|website=GuideStar|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070433/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-2020378|url-status=live}}</ref> Their son, Felipe Jose Molina, was born in 1977.<ref name="autobiography" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Mario Molina|url=http://www.theozonehole.com/molina.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003061346/http://www.theozonehole.com/molina.htm|archive-date=3 October 2019|access-date=19 December 2019|website=The Ozone Hole.com}}</ref> Molina married his second wife, Guadalupe Álvarez, in February 2006.<ref name="autobiography" />

Molina died on 7 October 2020, aged 77, due to a heart attack.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Fallece Mario Molina, Premio Nobel de Química 1995|url=https://elfinanciero.com.mx/ciencia/fallece-mario-molina-premio-nobel-de-quimica-1995|access-date=8 October 2020|website=El Financiero|date=7 October 2020 |language=es|archive-date=8 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070428/https://elfinanciero.com.mx/ciencia/fallece-mario-molina-premio-nobel-de-quimica-1995|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=NYTimes>{{cite web |last1=Schwartz |first1=John |title=Mario Molina, 77, Dies; Sounded an Alarm on the Ozone Layer |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/science/mario-molina-dead.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=15 May 2021 |date=13 October 2020 |archive-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228011722/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/science/mario-molina-dead.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Works ==
* Molina, Luisa T., Molina, Mario J. and Renyi Zhang. "[https://www.osti.gov/biblio/889933-laboratory-investigation-organic-aerosol-formation-from-aromatic-hydrocarbons Laboratory Investigation of Organic Aerosol Formation from Aromatic Hydrocarbons]", [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), [[United States Department of Energy]], (August 2006).
* Molina, Luisa T., Molina, Mario J., et al. "[https://www.osti.gov/biblio/940956-characterization-fine-particulate-matter-pm-secondary-pm-precursor-gases-mexico-city-metropolitan-area Characterization of Fine Particulate Matter (PM) and Secondary PM Precursor Gases in the Mexico City Metropolitan Area]", [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT), [[United States Department of Energy]], (October 2008).

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.centromariomolina.org/ Centro Mario Molina] {{in lang|es}}
* {{cite web |author=Center for Oral History| title= Mario J. Molina |url=https://oh.sciencehistory.org/oral-histories/molina-mario-j|publisher= [[Science History Institute]] }}
* {{cite book |first1=David J. |last1=Caruso |first2=Jody A. |last2=Roberts |title=Mario J. Molina, Transcript of an Interview Conducted by David J. Caruso and Jody A. Roberts at The Mario Molina Center, Mexico City, Mexico, on 6 and 7 May 2013 |date=7 May 2013 |url=https://oh.sciencehistory.org/sites/default/files/interview_pdf_abstract/molina_m_0896_suppl_2.pdf |place=Philadelphia, PA |publisher=[[Chemical Heritage Foundation]] |access-date=24 October 2018 |archive-date=8 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008070410/https://oh.sciencehistory.org/sites/default/files/interview_pdf_abstract/molina_m_0896_suppl_2.pdf |url-status=dead }}
* {{Nobelprize}} including the Nobel Lecture on 8 December 1995 "Polar Ozone Depletion"
*[https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/8pmnk1q Oral history interview with Mario J. Molina] in [https://digital.sciencehistory.org/ Science History Institute Digital Collections]

{{Nobel Prize in Chemistry Laureates 1976-2000}}
{{1995 Nobel Prize winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Molina, Mario J.}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:Atmospheric chemists]]
[[Category:Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change lead authors]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic]]
[[Category:Members of El Colegio Nacional (Mexico)]]
[[Category:Members of the Mexican Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the National Academy of Medicine]]
[[Category:Members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Mexican chemists]]
[[Category:Mexican emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Mexican Nobel laureates]]
[[Category:National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Chemistry]]
[[Category:Scientists from Mexico City]]
[[Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients]]
[[Category:UC Berkeley College of Chemistry alumni]]
[[Category:University of Freiburg alumni]]
[[Category:University of California, Irvine alumni]]
[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American scientists]]
[[Category:Institut auf dem Rosenberg alumni]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society]]
[[Category:Members of the American Philosophical Society]]