Gerhard Ertl wins 2007 Nobel for chemistry

STOCKHOLM, Oct 10 (Reuters) German scientist Gerhard Ertl won the 2007 Nobel Prize for chemistry for his surface chemistry work, the Nobel chemistry panel at the Swedish Academy of Sciences said today.

The coveted 10 million Swedish crown (1.54 million dollars) award recognised his studies on chemical processes on solid surfaces.

''This science is important for the chemical industry and can help us to understand such varied processes as why iron rusts, how fuel cells function and how the catalysts in our cars work,'' the academy said in a statement.

This was the third of this year's crop of prestigious Nobel prizes handed out each year for achievements in science, literature, economics and peace.

The prizes bearing the name of dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the 1895 will of the Swedish businessman.

REUTERS PD HS1531