Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Interface Science Department

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Past Events

Advances in Operando Spectroscopy and Microscopy of Heterogeneous Catalysts to Make the Fuels, Chemicals and Materials of the Future

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Feb 27, 2024
  • Time: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. ir. Bert Weckhuysen
  • Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Wet-chemical synthesis and catalytic properties of metal clusters of small atomicity without protecting ligands

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Jan 26, 2024
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. M. Arturo López-Quintela
  • Department of Physical Chemistry NANOMAG Lab, iMATUS University of Santiago de Compostela
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Following the Dynamics of Nanoparticle Surfaces in Search of New Catalytic Pathways

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Jan 22, 2024
  • Time: 11:00 AM c.t. - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Anatoly I. Frenkel
  • Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Understanding mechanisms of work for a wide range of applied nanomaterials begins with identifying “active units” in operating conditions, zooming in on the “active sites” and ends with a model explaining their role for functioning of the material or device. [more]

Molecular Simulation in the Age of AI

  • ISC and TH Seminar
  • Date: Dec 13, 2023
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Edward Pyzer-Knapp
  • Head of Research Innovation for UK and Ireland at IBM, Visiting Professor of Industrially Applied AI at the University of Liverpool, and the Editor in Chief for Applied AI Letters.
  • Location: FHI library (building A)
  • Host: ISC and TH Department
The history of chemical discovery has been punctuated by computational and theoretical developments. Evolving from empirical observation, increasingly systematised experimentation allowed for the development of theoretical underpinnings, which in turn afforded the paradigm shifting application of computational techniques, which has since co-evolved with the development of the technologies upon which they are run. Recent years have seen the emergence of data-driven techniques and technologies for building powerful models, appearing to enable us to side-step the requirement for expensive physical simulations – replacing them with highly performant, but black-box alternatives. [more]

Design and characterization of integrated systems for solar fuel production

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Dec 4, 2023
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Francesca Maria Toma
  • Director of Institute of Functional Materials for Sustainability, Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon
  • Location: Faradayweg 4-6
  • Room: FHI Library (Building A)
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: kley@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Synthesis planning, mechanistic analysis and discovery of new reaction classes in the age of computers

  • ISC and TH Seminar
  • Date: Dec 1, 2023
  • Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Bartosz A. Grzybowski
  • Bartosz A. Grzybowski is a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNIST and a Director of the IBS Center for Algorithmic and Robotized Synthesis (CARS). He is also Professor at the Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences. Although he has spent a large fraction of his research career on esoteric problems of self-assembly and non-equilibrium systems, he considers his most impactful discoveries to be in the area of computer-driven synthesis (e.g., the Chematica/Synthia and Allchemy programs).
  • Location: FHI library (building A)
  • Host: ISC and TH Department
After decades of rather unsuccessful attempts, computers are finally making impact on the practice of synthetic chemistry. This change is made possible by the combination of increased computing power and, above all, new algorithms to encode and manipulate synthetic knowledge at various levels, from sequences of full reactions to sequences of mechanistic steps. In my talk, I will illustrate how these advances have enabled completely autonomous planning of multistep syntheses of complex (natural product) targets, how they allow us to elucidate complex reaction mechanisms and, above all, discover new classes of reactions. [more]

Identifying the Active Site of Cu/Cu2O for Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Reaction to Ammonia

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Nov 24, 2023
  • Time: 12:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Raphael Nagao
  • University of Campinas, Brazil
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: monteiro@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Copper oxide-derived electrocatalysts are reported to have high activity and selectivity for nitrate electrochemical reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia. However, the cause underlying their enhanced NH3 formation, i.e., the active catalytic site, remains unclear. [more]

Scientific defense

Operando Insights into Size and Shape-controlled Cu-based Nanocatalysts for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 toward C2+ Products
  • Date: Jun 15, 2023
  • Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Antonia Herzog
  • Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  • Location: TU Berlin, Hauptgebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin
  • Room: H 1012 (Horst-Wagon-Saal)
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Arne Thomas / Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
  • Contact: iscsec@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Scientific defense

In situ and operando Electrocatalysis: Shape-dependent Nanocatalysts for the CO2 Reduction and the Formic Acid Oxidation
  • Date: Jun 8, 2023
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Clara Rettenmaier
  • Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  • Location: TU Berlin, Mathegebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 136, 10623 Berlin
  • Room: MA 042
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schomäcker / Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
  • Contact: iscsec@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Tuning the Polarity of Porous Materials to Impact Adsorption, Diffusion, and Catalysis

  • ISC and TH Seminar
  • Date: Jun 8, 2023
  • Time: 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Susannah L. Scott
  • University of Santa Barbara, Department of Chemical Engineering, California, USA
  • Location: https://zoom.us/j/92649353420?pwd=ZmFZc3dpcDcxcU80UWlzOFpQSThxdz09
  • Room: Meeting ID: 926 4935 3420 | Passcode: 919546
  • Host: ISC and TH Department
Ordered mesoporous (organo)silicas provide a highly tunable platform to modulate the hydrophobicity of their surfaces, through thermal control of surface hydroxyl density as well as the incorporation of organic framework linkers. [more]

Electrochemical surface science of platinum electrodes

  • TH and ISC Seminar
  • Date: Jun 5, 2023
  • Time: 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Marc Koper
  • Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, PO Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: TH and ISC Seminar
  • Contact: monteiro@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
This talk will discuss recent insights into the electrochemistry of platinum, highlighting three topics. [more]

Scientific defense

Water electrolysis in alkaline conditions and Cobalt-based oxides for the anodic half cell reaction
  • Date: May 4, 2023
  • Time: 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Felix Haase
  • Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  • Location: TU Berlin, Hauptgebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin
  • Room: H 1028
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schomäcker / Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
  • Contact: iscsec@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Scientific defense

Support and size effects in CO2 hydrogenation reactions over Fe-based catalysts
  • Date: Mar 23, 2023
  • Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Mauricio Lopez Luna
  • Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
  • Location: TU Berlin, Hauptgebäude, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin
  • Room: Room H 2013
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Reinhard Schomäcker / Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
  • Contact: iscsec@fhi-berlin.mpg.de

Pathways to Enhance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Identified Through Multi-Scale Modeling Pathways to Enhance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Identified Through Multi-Scale Modeling

  • Joint Seminar of the ISC & TH Department
  • Date: Mar 6, 2023
  • Time: 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Sophia Haussener
  • Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sciences and Engineering, EPFL, Station 9, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Multi-physical transport processes on multiple scales are occurring in electrochemical devices and components for CO2 electroreduction. These coupled transport processes determine the local environment in the catalyst layer and subsequently also the reaction rates at the catalytic sites. [more]

Four short presentations around the topic ISSP

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Feb 21, 2023
  • Time: 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Andris Anspoks, Dr. Aleksejs Kuzmins, Dr. Anatolijs Šarakovskis, Dr. Gints Kučinskis
  • Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Riga
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Dr. Adris Anspoks: Short overview about ISSP // Dr. Aleksejs Kuzmins: X-ray absorption spectroscopy // Dr. Anatolijs Šarakovskis: overview about their activities in spectroscopy // Dr. Gints Kučinskis: Electrochemistry & batteries [more]

In situ studies of Cu catalysed CO2 electroreduction bysoft X-ray STXM and spectro-ptychography

  • ISC Department Seminar
  • Date: Jan 23, 2023
  • Time: 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Adam Hitchcock
  • McMaster University, Chemistry & Chemical Biology Department, Hamilton, ON, CanadaUSA
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Soft X-ray scanning transmission microscopy (STXM) is a powerful tool for nanoscale materials analysis. [more]

Surprising Elements of Light

  • Date: Jan 5, 2023
  • Time: 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Erik Garnett
  • FOM Institute AMOLF, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: oener@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Light-driven chemical reactions power all life on earth and photochemistry has been intensely studied for more than a century, but light continues to provide surprising possibilities in driving and monitoring chemical reactions. [more]

Electrochemistry 2022 - At the Interface between Chemistry and Physics

  • Start: Sep 27, 2022
  • End: Sep 30, 2022
  • Location: Henry-Ford-Bauf of FU Berlin
  • Host: Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldan Cuenya
Electrochemistry is a successful series of conferences, held every other year. The conference is jointly organized by GDCh Division Elektrochemie, GDCh Arbeitskreis Elektrochemische Analysenmethoden, DBG, DECHEMA, AGEF, GfKORR and DGO. Outstanding electrochemists from Germany and from abroad will highlight research results and current trends. [more]

Operando SXRD/XAS studies of CoOx epitaxial thin films for OER electrocatalysis

  • Date: Sep 19, 2022
  • Time: 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Philippe Allongue
  • Directeur de Recherche at CNRS, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: roldan@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Cobalt oxides are among the best earth abundant catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline and neutral electrolytes. We have undertaken operando studies of two dimensional epitaxial cobalt oxide films [1-2] to gain insights into some questions that remain in debate. [more]

Understanding the Birth of the Catalyst during Pyrolysis Using Synchrotron X-rays

  • Date: Jul 5, 2022
  • Time: 04:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Iryna V. Zenyuk
  • Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Transition metal-nitrogen-carbon materials (M-N-C catalysts) are promising electrocatalysts in electrochemical applications. High temperature treatment in inert environment (pyrolysis) is the most common method for the synthesis of M-N-C catalysts and critical to achieve high electrocatalyst activity and electronic conductivity. [more]

New Generation of Atomically Dispersed Electrocatalysts

  • Date: Jul 5, 2022
  • Time: 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Plamen Atanassov
  • Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Irvine
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Platinum Group Metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts have been extensively developed for both Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) fuel cells aiming automotive, stationary and portable applications. In this lecture we will address the critical challenges that our team has faced on the way to practical application of such catalysts. [more]

Fluxional catalytic interfaces and how they evolve under realistic conditions: insights from computational studies

  • Date: Jun 20, 2022
  • Time: 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Patricia Poths
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Fluxionality, or the presence of and interconversion between multiple possible energetic configurations, is vital for understanding a catalyst as it operates under actual reaction conditions. [more]

Chemical challenges facing scalable hydrogen production with alkaline membrane electrolyzers

  • Date: Jun 17, 2022
  • Time: 03:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Shannon Boettcher
  • Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oregon
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
  • Contact: nikolaus@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Commercialized membrane electrolyzers use acidic proton exchange membranes (PEMs). These systems offer high performance but require the use of expensive precious-metal catalysts such as IrO2 and Pt that are nominally stable under the locally acidic conditions of the ionomer. [more]

Dynamic catalytic interfaces: ensembles of metastable states break the rules of catalysis

  • Date: Jun 9, 2022
  • Time: 03:00 PM c.t. (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Anastassia Alexandrova
  • Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA
  • Location: Building M, Richard-Willstätter-Haus, Faradayweg 10, 14195 Berlin
  • Room: Seminar Room
  • Host: Interface Science Department
I will show that dynamic catalytic interfaces exhibit great structural fluxionality in conditions of catalysis, and populate many distinct structural and stoichiometric states, which form a statistical ensemble. [more]

How to publish your science: A guide to writing your first re-search article, and every article after that

  • Date: Jul 20, 2021
  • Time: 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dr. Alina Bruma
  • Associate Editor – Applied Physics Review, American Institute of Physics (AIP) Academy
  • Location: Online Seminar
  • Room: https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/azayajtw
  • Host: Interface Science
  • Contact: swchwee@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
Scientific writing is an integral part of any researcher’s career, aimed at communicating original research for peer review. Well written articles backed by citable scientific data help expedite peer collaboration and advancements in any field. [more]

About the birth, life and death of electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction

  • Date: Feb 7, 2020
  • Time: 11:15 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Dr. Raffaella Buonsanti
  • Laboratory of Nanochemistry for Energy Research, Institute of Chemi-cal Sciences and Engineering, Ecole Politechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Location: Building P
  • Room: Seminar Room 2.06
  • Host: Interface Science
Correlating activity, selectivity and stability with the structure and composition of catalysts is crucial to advancing the knowledge in chemical transformations which are essential to move towards a more sustainable economy. [more]

Nanomaterials with their specific properties for applications in biomedicine and electronics

  • Date: Jan 14, 2020
  • Time: 11:15 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Prof. Michael Giersig
  • Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Experimental Physics
  • Location: Building P
  • Room: Seminar Room 2.06
  • Host: Interface Science
  • Contact: roldan@fhi-berlin.mpg.de
The content of my lecture are the results of my research carried out in recent years and educational activities on the preservation of molecular matter condensed in nano-systems and their practical applications using their specific properties in biomedicine and electronics. [more]
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