Mario J. Molina

Mexican chemist Mario J. Molina won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry alongside F. Sherwood Rowland and Paul Crutzen. They were awarded the prize for their groundbreaking research demonstrating how chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) deplete the Earth's ozone layer.

In 1974, Molina and Rowland published a scientific paper theorizing that CFCs, commonly used in aerosol sprays and refrigerants, would break down in the stratosphere. They proved this chemical reaction would release chlorine atoms that actively destroy ozone molecules.

His research directly led to the creation of the Montreal Protocol in 1987. This international treaty successfully phased out the production of ozone-depleting chemicals and is considered one of the most successful environmental agreements in history.

Molina conducted his pivotal CFC research at the University of California, Irvine. He later worked at institutions like MIT and the University of California, San Diego.