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.
- Industrial Research Fellow at HZB: More time for discussionsThe South African chemist Denzil Moodley is the first Industrial Research Fellow at HZB. He is playing a leading role in the CARE-O-SENE project. The Fellowship program aims to further accelerate the development of an efficient catalyst for a sustainable aviation fuel. An interview about the CARE-O-SENE project and why it is so important for scientists from industry and public research to work together.
- Perovskites: Hybrid materials as highly sensitive X-ray detectorsNew bismuth-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials show exceptional sensitivity and long-term stability as X-ray detectors, significantly more sensitive than commercial X-ray detectors. In addition, these materials can be produced without solvents by ball milling, a mechanochemical synthesis process that is environmentally friendly and scalable. More sensitive detectors would allow for a reduction in the radiation exposure during X-ray examinations.
- Electrical energy storage: BAM, HZB, and HU Berlin plan joint Berlin Battery LabThe Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), and Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Berlin Battery Lab. The lab will pool the expertise of the three institutions to advance the development of sustainable battery technologies. The joint research infrastructure will also be open to industry for pioneering projects in this field.