Research Groups

Group leader: Annette  Trunschke

Metal oxides exhibit remarkable chemical diversity, enabling a wide range of functional applications. Our group investigates how synthesis routes influence the catalytic properties of metal oxides and oxide-supported nanoparticles and how these materials transform into active phases under reaction conditions. more

Group leader: Axel Knop-Gericke

The electronic structure of catalytically active solid/gas-phase and solid/liquid interfaces is our main interest. We perform synchrotron based in-situ/operando X-ray absorption (XAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements to study structure-function relations. The measurements were supported by DFT calculations. more

The Electron Microscopy group focuses on the structural understanding of heterogeneous catalysts and chemical energy converters, using state-of-the-art X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy methods. In doing so, we seek to uncover the differences between local and averaged structures and to understand their chemical relationship to catalysis. To this end, our portfolio includes not only detailed X-ray diffraction analysis and chemical electron microscopy, but also operando and quasi in situ measurements for X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. more