FHI Theory

Theory Department

The research in the Theory Department focuses on a quantitative modeling of materials properties and functions, and in particular on processes in working catalysts and energy conversion devices. For this we advance and employ predictive-quality multiscale models, advanced data science techniques and machine learning, thereby straddling the frontiers of physics, chemistry, computing sciences, as well as materials science and engineering.


Recent publications

 

Theory Department News

FHI Theory Department and CAMMS Center Launch Joint Symposium to Strengthen International Collaboration 

To promote new scientific collaborations in the field of computational materials science, representatives of the CAMMS Center for Computational Molecular and Material Science at Tel Aviv University visited the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI). The meeting marks the start of the exchange program, supported by the Max Planck Israel Programme.  more

Alexander von Humboldt research fellowships for Postdocs go to four FHI researchers.

In recognition of their scientific work, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is supporting four young researchers of the Fritz Haber Institute with a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdocs: Dr. Alexander Gorfer from the Theory Department, Dr. Roey Ben David and Dr. Young Jae Kim from the Interface Science Department, and Dr. Sejun An from the Molecular Physics Department. more

Building a small robotic vehicle in the workshops

As part of this year’s Girls’ Day on April 23, 2026, 32 girls aged 10 to 15 visited the Fritz Haber Institute and gained insight into the diverse work carried out in the research groups and workshops through hands-on experiments and craft projects. more

Dr. Haobo Li

Led by Dr. Haobo Li, a new Max Planck Partner Group within the Theoretical Department of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society is being established at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. This initiative supports the groundbreaking research of this exceptional young scientist in catalysis and sustainable energy, while further deepening her close collaboration with the Fritz Haber Institute. The Fritz Haber Institute and the Max Planck Society will support Dr. Li in developing her Max Planck Partner Group into a dynamic hub within both the Singaporean and international scientific communities. more

AI-driven Catalyst Development: €30 Million Funding for German Consortium

Six partners from research and industry, including the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI), BASF, Siemens Energy, Dunia Innovations, and the Technical University Berlin/BasCat are launching a joint project to accelerate catalyst discovery. The German Federal Ministry for Science, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing €30 million in funding for the project ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation). The research initiative targets the defossilization of energy-intensive industries while safeguarding industrial competitiveness, with a focus on the chemical sector. The five-year project will start on April 1, 2026. more

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