Departments

Inorganic
Chemistry
Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
Interim
Interface
Science
Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
Molecular
Physics
Gerard Meijer
Physical
Chemistry
Martin Wolf
Theory
 
Karsten Reuter

Science News

Red light and blue waves interacting above a surface.
Researchers have developed a new microscope that can visualize the optical response of surfaces at an unprecedented spatial resolution of one nanometer. This paves the way for optical microscopy of atomic-scale structures, such as single molecules and atomic defects. Such capability is important for optical engineering of nanomaterials and surfaces at angstrom scales.
When Electrons "Jump" into Water: The Secret Behind High Electrode Capacities
In order to develop improved electrolysers for regenerative hydrogen production, the processes on the surfaces of the metal electrodes used must be precisely understood. Researchers from the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute have now been able to show that even the smallest spillover of metal electrons into the aqueous electrolyte environment is sufficient to increase the energy storage capacity more than tenfold. Only if computer simulations take this quantum mechanical effect into account can they be used reliably to investigate promising new electrolyser materials.
Layered brown spheres form a pyramid structure, surrounded by molecular diagrams and stylized lightning bolts.
Researchers from the Interface Science Department (ISC) of the Fritz Haber Institute and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have provided insight into the significant morphological changes that Cu surfaces undergo during the electrochemical reduction of CO2, which influences the type of products formed. This combined theory (UCLA)-experimental ISC-FHI) study highlights the importance of specific surface defects, that are created and transformed in the course of the reaction, for enhancing the efficiency of CO2 conversion into industrially valuable chemicals.

Institute News

Prof. Dr. Thomas Lunkenbein
Prof. Dr. Thomas Lunkenbein, formerly the group leader in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, has been appointed as a professor at the University of Bayreuth and has accepted the position. Starting in June, he will assume the professorship for Operando Analytics of Electrochemical Energy Storage.
Green Light for e-conversion 2.0
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) announced the renewal of funding for the Cluster of Excellence e-conversion, ensuring its continuation for another seven years starting January 1, 2026. The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society is proud to be part of this distinguished and interdisciplinary research network, which drives cutting-edge energy science and fosters vital cross-disciplinary collaboration to tackle the pressing challenges of the global energy transition.
Dr. André Fielicke
The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society congratulates Dr. André Fielicke on his successful habilitation in the field of Experimental Physics at TU Berlin.
Dr. Sandra Eibenberger-Arias receives Zellner Science Award 2025
On April 23, 2025, Dr. Sandra Eibenberger-Arias, group leader in the Department of Molecular Physics at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, was awarded the prestigious Science Award of the Professor Reinhard Zellner Foundation.

Current Information

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Upcoming Events

Photodynamics of N-and N,B-Containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and their Clusters: A Free Electron Laser Study

MP Department Seminar
Jul 4, 2025 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Building K, Haber-Villa, Faradayweg 8, 14195 Berlin, Room: Seminar Room

Emmy Noether Project: Enantiosensitive Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Chiral Aqueous Solutions

MP Department Seminar
Jul 11, 2025 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Building K, Haber-Villa, Faradayweg 8, 14195 Berlin, Room: Seminar Room

FRITZ Sommerfest | FRITZ Summer Party

Jul 11, 2025 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin

Correlated Motions of Electrons, Spins, and Dipoles in 2D vdW Materials

PC Department Seminar
Jul 22, 2025 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
Building G, Room: 2.06
CECAM Flagship Workshop

CECAM Flagship Workshop

July 02, 2025
From operando electron microscopy images to atomistic models: Machine Learning assisted analysis in the age of big data
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