Researchers in the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society show that puzzling trends in temperature-dependent electrocatalytic measurements can arise from shifts in the reaction mechanism at the catalyst surface. The work offers a new way to interpret such experiments, which have so far mostly been explained by changes in the surrounding water at the electrode.

Researchers at the Interface Science Department (ISC) have shown that electrochemical reactions at solid-solution interfaces can be impacted by two closely related, yet, distinct factors. The applied potential can drive a reaction forward. Additionally, electric fields in the extended environment can modulate the ensembles that determine the activation parameters, without necessarily constituting a thermodynamic driving force themselves. Here, the researchers within Dr. Sebastian Oener‘s group within Prof. Roldán Cuenya ISC department were able to independently control not only the applied potential, but also the magnitude of the electric field at a fixed potential, and study their impact on the activation parameters.

Scientists in the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society show that general-purpose large language models can efficiently explore chemical space and outperform specialised generative models in the search for stable, low-energy materials.

Special Symposium for the 40th Anniversary of the Nobel Prize Award to Prof. Ernst Ruska for the Invention of the Transmission Electron Microscope on Nov. 23, 2026 at Harnack Haus Berlin.