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

With the aim of advancing integrated CO2 capture and electrochemical conversion, researchers from the Interface Science Department of the Fritz Haber Institute investigated how the concentration of KHCO3, a typical CO2 capture medium, controls the electrochemical conversion of CO2 on copper in a membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) electrolyzer.
 
Researchers from the Molecular Physics and Physical Chemistry Departments of the Fritz Haber Institute have shown how two highly synchronized infrared (IR) laser beams can control molecules as they switch between different structural conformations. Their technique provides a new window into how molecules rearrange themselves during chemical reactions, offering fundamental insights into the microscopic processes that govern chemistry.
An international team of researchers from the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) directly observed how angular momentum is transferred and conserved within a crystal lattice. Using intense terahertz laser pulses, the researchers were able to selectively control these processes, which unveiled a surprising effect: during the angular momentum transfer, the direction of rotation reverses – caused by the rotational symmetry of the material. The results provide new insights into the foundation of magnetism and open up possibilities for tailored control of quantum materials.

Institute News

The Director of the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute, Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya, has been selected for the renowned Jacobus van 't Hoff Award Lectureship at Delft University of Technology. She delivered her lecture on September 28 in Delft, the Netherlands.
The Fritz Haber Institute welcomes Dr. Valentin Briega Martos, who joined the Department of Interface Science in September 2026 as W2 Group Leader to establish the CO2 Capture Group. His team will develop electrochemical strategies for capturing and re-utilizing carbon dioxide, pairing operando characterization with electrochemical performance to guide materials and process design.
Dr. Vanessa Jane Bukas has received the Ernst Haage Prize 2026 for her pioneering research into the theory behind important heterogeneous thermal processes. The award recognizes her achievements as an early-career scientist and highlights her contributions to understanding fundamental chemical processes.
On September 16, 2026, 30 colleagues from the Fritz Haber Institute lined up for B2Run Berlin’s 5.7 km course as Team Fritz. In a field of 18,000 participants from more than 1,000 teams, they ran with enthusiasm and finished with smiles all around.

Current Information

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Upcoming Events

Boosting Catalysis by Dynamic Stimulation: Challenges and Opportunities

TH Department Seminar
Oct 15, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
https://zoom.us/j/95264558786?pwd=3cD97gX67ICp9kPO0bRGnsJbUEcDL3.1, Room: Meeting ID: 952 6455 8786 | Passcode: 961989

Mechanistic Exploration of Electrocatalytic N2 Reduction with Mo-pincer complex via MoII and Mo0

MP Department Seminar
Oct 16, 2026 09:30 AM - 10:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
Building K, Haber-Villa, Faradayweg 8, 14195 Berlin, Room: Seminar Room

Ultrafast Imaging of Polaritonic Waves with Photofunctional Nanomaterials

PC Special Seminar
Oct 16, 2026 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
Building G, Room: 2.06

TH-Seminar: Dr. Yair Litman

TH Department Seminar
Nov 5, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin, Room: Seminar Room

Operando Nano Interfaces 2026

November 16, 2026
International conference dedicated to revealing dynamic functional interfaces through operando and in situ characterization.
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.
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