Matthias May receives the Poster Prize at the Wilhelm und Else-Heraeus Seminar
Matthias May, PhD student at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels, was awarded a Poster Prize at the 562nd WE Heraeus Seminar “From Sunlight to Fuels” for his scientific work. From 11 to 16 May 2014, the participants of the WE Heraeus seminar concentrated intensively on the topic of “converting sunlight to hydrogen” and discussed new materials and processes for photovoltaic and (photo)catalytic applications.
Matthias May impressively demonstrated on his poster how water acts on differently prepared surfaces of III-V compound semiconductors and what interactions occur. It is highly important to study this effect in detail because the initial reaction with water is critical in the development of suitable materials and processes for solar fuels. May prepared two different surfaces of gallium and indium phosphide and then analyzed and compared the influence of water using photoelectron spectroscopy and in-situ reflection anisotropy spectroscopy.
The 562nd WE Heraeus Seminar “From Sunlight to Fuels - Novel Materials and Processes for Photovoltaic and (Photo)Catalytic Applications” was organized by Prof. Dr. Robert Schlögl (Fritz Haber Institute, Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Klaus Lips and Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech (both of HZB). About 50 participants followed the scientific seminar at the Physikzentrum Bad Honnef.
The Wilhelm und Else Heraeus-Stiftung was founded in 1963 as a charitable foundation whose objective is to promote research and education in the natural sciences. The organization of scientific seminars is the foundation’s most important fundraising means and serves as a platform for personal exchange between researchers from around the world.
- Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. UhlAlexander R. Uhl, UBC Okanagan School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada, aims to develop with Roel van de Krol from the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels an efficient and inexpensive photoelectrolyser for producing hydrogen using sunlight. His stay is being funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
- MXene for energy storage: More versatile than expectedMXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual MXene flakes to explore these processes in detail. Using the in situ Scanning transmission X-ray microscope 'MYSTIIC' at BESSY II, the scientists mapped the chemical states of Titanium atoms on the MXene flake surfaces. The results revealed two distinct redox reactions, depending on the electrolyte. This lays the groundwork for understanding charge transfer processes at the nanoscale and provides a basis for future research aimed at optimising pseudocapacitive energy storage devices.
- Bernd Rech elected to the BR50 Board of DirectorsThe Scientific Director at Helmholt-Zentrum Berlin is the new face behind the "Natural Sciences" unit at Berlin Research 50 (BR50). Following the election in December 2025, the constituent meeting of the new BR50 Board of Directors took place on 22 January 2026.
Its members are Michael Hintermüller (Weierstrass Institute, WIAS), Noa K. Ha (German Centre for Integration and Migration Research, DeZIM), Volker Haucke (Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, FMP), Uta Bielfeldt (German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, DRFZ) and Bernd Rech (HZB).