Dr. Mathieu Lizée Receives Prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship
The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society proudly announces that Dr. Mathieu Lizée has been awarded the esteemed Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship. This prestigious fellowship will support Dr. Lizée's research over the next two years, starting in June 2025.
Dr. Lizée began will work in the Interface Science Department under Dr. Sebastian Öner and Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya. His academic journey includes a PhD in Physics from the École Normale Supérieure of Paris, where he explored electron localization in two-dimensional superconductors using tunneling spectroscopy. His measurement of liquid friction on crystalline surfaces with Atomic Force Microscopy provided the first indication of potentially ubiquitous couplings between acoustic phonons in solids and adjacent liquid flows. Using graphite nanochannels, he demonstrated the persistent molecular cooperativity of liquids down to the single monolayer limit and further studied the 1/f noise spectrum of ionic currents in such systems.
In 2025, Dr. Lizée will expand his research horizons by joining the Interfacial Ionics group led by Dr. Sebastian Öner, focusing on the impact of interfacial solvents in electrochemistry. The ordering of water molecules under strong electric fields significantly affects reaction kinetics in electrocatalysis. Through temperature-dependent electrochemistry, scanning probe techniques, and theoretical modeling, Dr. Lizée aims to build a comprehensive understanding of solvent effects on electrocatalysis, leveraging such knowledge to enhance catalyst activity, selectivity, and stability.
The Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship enables Dr. Lizée to carry out his research at the Fritz Haber Institute while developing his research profile for a future independent career.
About the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is renowned for its commitment to promoting international scientific cooperation. Established in 1860, the foundation has played a fundamental role in connecting researchers worldwide and supporting academic exchange.
In 2023, the foundation maintained an interdisciplinary network of over 30,000 Humboldtians across 140 countries, with 61 Nobel laureates. Between 2018 and 2022, it sponsored 4,690 research stays in Germany at universities and 1,790 at non-university research institutions. In the latest Humboldt Rankings from 2023, Max Planck institutes lead the list of non-university research institutions, with the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin at the forefront. From 2016 to 2022, the Fritz Haber Institute hosted 68 researchers, making it the leading host of Humboldt researchers in Berlin, following the major universities (FU, HU, TU).
