News Archive
May, 2025
This month we are happy to welcome two renowned guests from the photochemistry community: 1)
Prof. Garry Hanan (Universite de Montréal) and 2) Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier (Université catholique
de Louvain). I am looking forward to your presentations.
May, 2025
Do you want to learn something about "Push and Pull: The Impact of Amino and Nitro Substituents on
Heteroleptic Cu(I) Photosensitizers". Then check our recent publication in Chemistry - A European
Journal. See
here. This was a quite long story. Congratulation to
all co-authors.
May, 2025
Miriam has started her bachelor thesis. She is working on the synthesis of catechol anchor groups for
Cu(I)-based photosensitizers. We wish you much success and fun in the lab.
April, 2025
I was elected for a second term as a voting member of the Study Quality Commission (SQK) and the
Tenure Track Commission (TT) of the TU Braunschweig. Thank you very much. I am pleased to
participate in these committees.
See here.
November, 2024
I am happy to announce that I have now officially completed my habilitation and can call myself a "Privatdozent" (PD). The inaugural lecture on 20
th of November was a great success. Once again, many thanks to all the guests and supporters.
November, 2024
After his Bachelor and Master theses, Kurt is now starting his doctoral thesis with me. We are very happy about this and wish you every success.
September, 2024
Max delivered a great bachelor thesis on “Photocatalytic dehalogenations with copper(I) complexes and their analysis via gas chromatography”. Now we are ready for further photoredox catalysis. Great.
September, 2024
Kurt successfully completed his Master's thesis entitled ‘Design and Characterisation of Bichromophoric Copper(I) Based Photosensitizers’. He was able to prepare four novel Cu(I) complexes and even obtained two crystal structures. Congratulations!
August, 2024
Micha successfully passed the final scientific lecture and colloquium in course of his habilitation. The public inaugural lecture in the habilitation procedure will take place on November 20
th, 2024 at 17.00 in the lecture hall HR 30.1, Hagenring 30.
August, 2024
Exploring the Potential of Al(III) Photosensitizers for Energy Transfer Reactions. The paper by Volkan and Anastasiia has finally been accepted in Inorg. Chem. Congratulations! More information about photoactive and earth-abundant Al(III) complexes can be found here:
Read more.
June, 2024
Max has begun his Bachelor's thesis. His topic is: Photocatalytic dehalogenation reactions using Cu(I) complexes and their investigation via gas chromatography. A warm welcome to the group.
April, 2024
Kurt started with his master thesis dealing with the "Design and Characterization of Bichromophoric Copper(I) Based Photosensitizers". What a cool research topic. Welcome back!
July, 2022
Yippee! Our third paper dealing with the special biipo ligand and an “Unexpected Boost in Activity of a Cu(I) Photosensitizer by Stabilizing a Transient Excited State” is now published in Inorganic Chemistry. This was only possible due to a strong joint cooperation. Many thanks to the groups of Prof. Lochbrunner (Rostock) und Prof. Niedner-Schatteburg (Kaiserslautern).
Read more.
July, 2022
A big welcome to Kurt Haseloff. Kurt is the newest member of our synthesis group and has just started his bachelor thesis. He will focus on the incorporation of a catechol anchor group into the backbone of different phenanthroline ligands. We wish you a lot of success.
June, 2022
Congratulations to Yingya and Florian! Here is our latest study about the comparison of two different design strategies for improved Cu(I) photosensitizers, i.e. covalent linkage vs. directly fusing of a naphthalimide unit. For further details please have look to our paper in Frontiers in Chemistry: Have a look
here.
June, 2022
We are pleased about our new joint PhD student. Anastasiia Riabchunova did her Master of Science in Chemistry at the Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine. She joined our group to do her doctoral thesis with us. We hope that you have a good start despite the circumstances.
April, 2022
Our updated master lecture (including a seminar and exciting practical experiments) on photo(redox) catalysis and artificial photosynthesis starts. If you're as excited, sign up and drop by at the Rebenring 31.
April, 2022
Our updated master lecture (including a seminar and exciting practical experiments) on photo(redox) catalysis and artificial photosynthesis starts. If you're as excited, sign up and drop by at the Rebenring 31.
December, 2021
There are two great new publications.
1.) Together with research groups from Rostock and Kaiserslautern we provide a full picture of the excited state dynamics of two novel Cu(I) and Ru(II) based Photosensitizers. Read more about this in Inorganic Chemistry.
Read more.
2.) We are honored to present a new full paper in Chem. Eur. J. about merging of a perylene moiety enables a Ru(II) photosensitizer with long-lived excited atates and the efficient production of singlet oxygen. Have a look
here. This publication also includes the front cover and the cover profile. Please,
see here.
October, 2021
Together with Yann Pellegrin, Axel Klein and Jérôme Fortage I am serving as guest editor for the special issue "Oxidative and Reductive Quenching of Excited States: Enlightening the Way in Photochemistry" in Frontiers in Chemistry.
July, 2021
Our new lecture series on "photo(redox) catalysis and artificial photosynthesis" came to a successful end.
July, 2021
Our new baby, an emission spectrometer (Fluoromax Plus) from Horiba Jobin Yvon has been delivered and is now ready for use up to 1500 nm.
March/April, 2021
The group moves to the
Technische Universität Braunschweig. From April 1st we are part of the Department of Energy Conversion at the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry. We are looking forward to an interesting future with new colleagues and cooperation partners. Our new laboratories are located at the Rebenring 31, in 38106 Braunschweig.
March, 2021
There are two more publications:
1.) The master thesis of Florian about cross-coupled phenyl- and alkynyl-based phenanthrolines and their Cu(I) photosensitizers was published in Inorganic Chemistry. Good job!
Read more.
2.) The new paper by Robin and co-workers in ChemPhotoChem demonstrates the application of Cu(I) photosensitizers for the photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Many thanks also to Dr. Schwalbe and Prof. Tschierlei!
Read more.
January, 2021
Nektarios has successfully completed his research internship. His main focus was the synthesis of viologen containing ligands and their different metal complexes. Well done!
October, 2020
Our recent publication in Chem. Eur. J. about a Ru(II) photosensitizer containing a fused naphthaloylenebenzene moiety was selected for a cover picture and awarded as a "Hot paper". Many thanks to all collaborators!
Read more.
September, 2020
Fiona defended her master thesis with success. She was dealing with the application of copper based complexes in different types of light-driven catalysis.
June, 2020
Our joint study about the development of a unique rylene type diimine ligand and its Ru(II) photosensitizer is published in Chem. Eur. J.
Read more
April, 2020
Jasmin succesfully finished her Bachelor thesis. She had a good, but challenging time with the selective substitution of phenanthroline ligands.
March, 2020
Here it is. Please, read our new article in the special issue of Inorganic Chemistry entitled as "Light Controlled Reactivity of Metal Complexes".
Read more.
March, 2020
Our new paper in Chem. Eur. J. investigating Cu(I) photosensitizers with multidentate ligands by X-ray absorption spectroscopy got accepted.
Read more.
March, 2020
Finally, I received my "Baden-Württemberg Zertifikat für Hochschuldidaktik". See
here.
February, 2020
Welcome back Fiona! Fiona started her Master thesis using copper based complexes for light-driven catalysis.
December, 2019
We wish a Merry Christmas and thank all cooperation partners for a productive year.
November, 2019
Our recent publication in Chemistry Eur. J. about Cu(I) phosphinooxazoline photosensitizers is online now.
Read more.
November, 2019
Jasmin Birnbaum joined the group for her Bachelor thesis. Welcome!
October, 2019
Florian Döttinger accomplished his Master thesis with great success and continues his work now as research assistant.
August, 2019
Nora Graf finished her Research Internship with success. She was able to prepare viologen substituted phenanthroline ligands.
July, 2019
Martin Rentschler presented the latest results of his PhD thesis at the 3rd Ligand Design Workshop in Cologne.
May, 2019
Is there photoaccumulation of a second electron in a heteroleptic Cu(I) photosensitizer?
Read more in our new publication in PCCP.
May, 2019
Welcome Florian Döttinger. He just started with his master thesis dealing with Cu(I) complexes containing an electron storage moiety.
April, 2019
Sarah Maier finished her Master thesis, where she succeed to design novel phenanthroline ligands with an additional electron storage unit. Congratulation.
February, 2019
Fiona Schneider has successfully completed her research internship. She studied the photostability of some novel Cu(I) photosensitizers.
December, 2018
Congratulation to Martin and Marie-Ann. Our new full paper dealing with imidazo-phenanthroline ligands for Cu(I) photosensitizers appeared:
Read here.
November, 2018
Our new full paper about Cu(I) photosensitizers with amazing long excited state lifetimes is now online:
Read here.
October, 2018
Bernd Maier has completed his bachelor thesis and Sarah Maier came back for her master thesis.
September, 2018
Our new article about the comparison of copper with ruthenium photosensitizers is online.
Read here.
August, 2018
Fabian Zills successfully defended his Bachelor thesis about the study of photoredoxcatalysis using Cu(I) complexes.
July, 2018
Our new publication about the characterization and photocatalytic activity of photo- and plasma-deposited nanoparticles on titania layers just appeared in Nanomaterials 2018, 8(7), 502.
Read here.
June, 2018
Tatjana Basile successfully finished her Bachelor thesis working on imidazo-phenantroline complexes. Furthermore, Bernd Maier started with the design of new diimine ligands containing an additional electron storage.
April, 2018
Martin Rentschler started his master thesis working on novel chelate ligands for the stabilization of heteroleptic Cu(I) complexes.
March, 2018
Our joint project with Stefanie Tschierlei (Ulm University) has been selected for participation in the DFG Priority Program SPP2102 - Light-controlled reactivity of metal complexes.
Link to SPP website.
March, 2018
The impact of the type of reactor and the catalytic conditions on the photocatalytic H2 production was published in ChemistrySelect.
Read here. Please, also enjoy the new CoverPicture.
February, 2018
Our joint study about the nature of the excited state of a heteroleptic copper photosensitizer by using time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been published in Chem. Eur. J.
Read here.
January, 2018
Tatjana Basile started with her bachelor thesis. We wish a lot of success!
January, 2018
Sarah Maier has completed her project work about novel copper photosensitizers including anchor groups successfully.
November, 2017
Our new review in Coord. Chem. Rev. about copper photosensitizers is online.
Read here.
October, 2017
Fabian Zills and Sarah Maier joined the group for their bachelor thesis and a research internship, respectively. Welcome!
October, 2017
Robin Giereth passed his Master thesis with great success. We wish Robin all the best for his PhD studies at the Ulm University.
October, 2017
Robin's work about novel Cu(I) photosensitizers containing P^N ligands was recently published in Chemistry - A European Journal.
Read here our article.
October, 2017
Robin Giereth received a poster prize for his contribution about novel Cu(I) photosensitizers containing P^N ligands at the Solchem conference in Ulm. Great!
September, 2017
Lukas Horndasch passed his Bachelor thesis with great success. We wish Lukas all the best for his master studies at the LMU in Munich.
September, 2017
Robin Giereth received a poster prize for his contribution about novel Cu(I) photosensitizers containing P^N ligands at the ICCE conference in Erlangen. Congratulations!
September, 2017
A joint XAS and DFT study of 18 different [FeFe]H2ase model complexes was recently published in Dalton Trans.
Read here.
May, 2017
Immanuel Reim successfully finished his Master thesis. Well done.
April, 2017
Lukas Horndasch joined our group for his Bachelor thesis. Welcome.
March, 2017
Robin recieved a scholarship from the DBG for the 116. Bunsentagung in Kaiserslautern. Congratulation.
January, 2017
We designed a cover picture for our latest paper in Chem. Eur. J.
Look here.
November, 2016
Immanuel Reim started his master thesis working on novel Cu(I)-complexes. Welcome.
November, 2016
Our joint efforts to determine catalytic intermediates in the photocatalytic H2 production with copper photosensitizers are published in RSC Advances.
Read here.
September, 2016
Robin Giereth received a scholarship by the GDCh to participate the 25. Lecture Conference on Photochemistry in Jena. There we will present our latest results with an oral presentation and a poster.
July, 2016
Alan Kurtz successfully finished his Bachelor thesis. Thereby, he established in cooperation with the group of Dr. Ziegenbalg (ITC) an new continous flow reactor system for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen. Well done!
May, 2016
Our resent results were presented at the 115th Bunsentagung in Rostock by an oral talk and a poster. Furthermore, our work is illustrated as cover picture of the PCCP special issue "Basic mechanism of solar energy conversion".
Have a look here.
Apr 5, 2016
Alan Kurtz started his bachelor thesis in our group. His research is dedicated to the synthesis of copper complexes and their technical investigation in the light-driven hydrogen production. Welcome.
Robin Giereth started his research internship. He is interested in the preparation and calculation of improved copper photosensitizers with mixed-valent ligands. Good Luck!
Mar 16, 2016
Our new article in PCCP about basic light-induced processes in Iridium complexes is online.
Read here.
Feb 23, 2016
The new group website is now online.
