Australian top-chemist gains Helmholtz International Fellowship to visit HZB and HZDR
Prof. Dr. Leone Spiccia will spent research time at HZB next spring.
Prof. Dr. Leone Spiccia from the Monash University Melbourne was awarded the Helmholtz International Fellowship. In addition to the prize money of €20,000 each, he is invited to conduct research at HZB in Berlin and HZDR in Dresden. At HZB he is expected in spring 2015 in the group of Prof. Dr. Emad Aziz. The award honours excellent research and supports establishing new cooperation structures with international research institutions.
Scientists from HZDR and HZB nominated Prof Spiccia. HZB scientists Prof. Dr. Emad Aziz, Prof. Dr. Klaus Lips und Dr. Alexander Schnegg underligned his significant contributions to energy materials research, whereas Dr. Holger Stephan und Prof. Jörg Steinbach from HZDR acknowledged his results on nanomaterials in cancer research.
In total, eight outstanding scientists have been selected as Helmholtz International Fellows this year. Candidates must be nominated for the award by a Helmholtz Centre working in a similar research field as the respective candidates. The quality of the candidates' research is the most important criterion for the award. Nominations may be made at any time. The Helmholtz Executive Committee selects the award winners.
More information at Helmholtz Association
- Marcel Risch has been appointed Professor at the Freie Universität BerlinMarcel Risch was appointed to a W2-S professorship in the Department of Physics at Freie Universität Berlin in August 2026. His research group has been transformed into the department 'Mechanisms of Sustainable Electrocatalysis'. Risch investigates the fundamental mechanisms of electrocatalytic reactions and, on this basis, develops knowledge- and data-driven strategies to improve electrocatalysts for the sustainable production of hydrogen, fuels and chemicals.
- BESSY II: Evaporated perovskites in tandem solar cells improvedPerovskite-silicon tandem solar cells achieve significantly higher efficiencies than silicon solar cells on their own. One particularly attractive method is co-evaporation of the perovskite precursor molecules on top of the silicon subcell. Scientists at HZB have analysed film growth on the nanoscale at BESSY II and found a new way to improve the quality of the perovskite layer: adding a thin seed layer of caesium chloride between the two sub-cells promotes uniform perovskite growth and suppresses the formation of undesired lead iodide at the interface.
- Hatice Mutlu appointed to the Helmholtz Institute HIPOLE in JenaProf. Dr Hatice Mutlu is the new professor of sustainable polymer chemistry at HIPOLE Jena, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications. On 17 August 2026, she visited the HZB campus in Berlin-Adlershof including the BESSY II lightsource and discussed future collaboration with researchers and the board of directors.