Emeritus Scientific Members
PROF. MATTHIAS SCHEFFLER
Director at the Institute 1988 - 2020
Theory Department
Main areas of research: Theoretical physics, electron structure theory, materials science, big data
Ongoing research: leads the group The NOMAD Laboratory (Novel Materials Discovery), funded by ERC-Advanced Grant (2017-2020; 2020-2023)
Member of the Leopoldina, German National Academy of Sciences
Coordinator of BigMax, the Max Planck Network for „Big‐Data‐Driven Materials Science“
...more
PROF. HAJO FREUND
Director at the Institute 1995 - 2019
Chemical Physics Department
Main areas of research: physics and chemistry of solid surfaces, structure and dynamics of oxide surfaces, model systems for heterogeneous catalysis, nanostructures and clusters
Actively working on an Advanced Grant (Cryvisil) by the European Research Council, dealing with the transformation between crystalline and vitreous silica via real time STM imaging.
1995 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize
Member of Berlin-Brandenburgische Academy of Science
... more
PROF. GERHARD ERTL
Director at the Institute 1986 - 2004
Physical Chemistry Department
Main areas of research: chemical processes occurring at the interface of solids and gases or liquids (electrolytes), mechanisms of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions, coupling of (nonlinear) reaction kinetics with transport process, such as surface diffusion of adsorbed species or migration of ions in an electrolyte.
2007 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Member of the Leopoldina, German National Academy of Sciences
... more
PROF. ALEXANDER M. BRADSHAW
Director at the Institute 1980 - 1999
Surface Physics Department
Main areas of research: plasma physics, photoelectron diffraction, atomic and molecular photoionization using synchrotron radiation
Continues to work on general questions of future energy supply and on the concept of sustainability in connection with the use of mineral resources.
Former Scientific Director of the Berlin synchrotron radiation source, BESSY
1994 Max Planck Research Prize (together with Philip Woodruff)
Scientific Director of the Max-Planck Institute for Plasma Physics from 1999 until 2008
... more