PhD student of HZB earns Best Presentation Award of the Young Crystallographers

Frederike Lehmann earned an award for her presentation at the annual meeting of the German Society for Crystallography.

Frederike Lehmann earned an award for her presentation at the annual meeting of the German Society for Crystallography. © privat

Frederike Lehmann received a prize for her presentation at the annual conference of the German Society of Crystallography in Leipzig on 28 March 2019. She is doing her doctorate in the Department of Structure and Dynamics of Energy Materials at the HZB under Prof. Dr. Susan Schorr at the Graduate School HyPerCell.

In her lecture she presented her work on hybrid perovskite materials, which are being investigated as an exciting new class of materials for highly efficient solar cells. Hybrid perovskites are semiconductors and have a so-called bandgap in the appropriate energy range, so that the energy-rich blue and green parts of the solar spectrum in particular can be efficiently converted into electricity.

Frederike Lehmann's work deals with the chemical synthesis of hybrid perovskites and the analysis of their properties. She investigates both inorganic (CsPbI3) and organic perovskites in which organic molecules such as formamidinium or methylammonium are incorporated into the structure instead of cesium. By targeted substitution, she succeeded in producing a high-temperature modification at room temperature whose band gap is particularly suitable for solar cells. This is particularly important because perovskites are used in thin-film solar cells whose quality suffers in high-temperature processes.  The "Best Presentation Award of the Young Crystallographers" is associated with a book voucher.

red./arö

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • BESSY II: How intrinsic oxygen shortens the lifespan of solid-state batteries
    Science Highlight
    08.05.2026
    BESSY II: How intrinsic oxygen shortens the lifespan of solid-state batteries
    Although solid-state batteries (SSBs) demonstrate high performance and are intrinsically safe, their capacity currently declines rapidly. A team from the TU Wien, Humboldt-University Berlin and HZB has now analysed a TiS₂|Li₃YCl₆ solid-state half-cell in operando at BESSY II using a special sample environment that allows for non-destructive investigation under real operating conditions. Data obtained by combination of soft and hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and HAXPES) revealed a new degradation mechanism that had not previously been identified in solid-state batteries. They have gained some surprising insights, particularly regarding the harmful role played by intrinsic oxygen. This study provides valuable information for improving design and handling of such batteries.
  • Too old for research at 60? From nuclear physics to papyrus research
    Interview
    29.04.2026
    Too old for research at 60? From nuclear physics to papyrus research
    A career in science can be personally fulfilling. However, this also means accepting the unpredictable: research topics may no longer receive funding, and laboratories may close. Heinz-Eberhard Mahnke experienced this first-hand when he had to seek new challenges in his early 60s. Today, the 81-year-old is still active in research, using non-destructive measurement methods to examine ancient artefacts of inestimable cultural value. Antonia Rötger spoke with this extraordinary researcher, whose curiosity and drive are truly inspiring.
  • Electrocatalysts: New model for charge separation at the solid-liquid interface
    Science Highlight
    16.04.2026
    Electrocatalysts: New model for charge separation at the solid-liquid interface
    Hydrogen is at the heart of the transition to carbon neutrality, as both an energy carrier and a reagent for green chemistry. However, large-scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis, as well as the production of many other chemical products, requires significantly cheaper and more efficient catalysts. A precise understanding of the electrochemical processes that take place at the interface between the solid catalyst and the liquid medium is highly useful for developing better electrocatalysts. In the journal Nature Communications, an European team has now presented a powerful model that determines charge separation at the interface, the formation of the electric double layer and local electric potential variations, and the resulting influence on the catalytic activity.