Michael Naguib is visiting HZB as a Humboldt Research Awardee
Michael Naguib from Tulane University, USA, is one of the discoverers of a new class of materials, MXenes. During his Humboldt Research Award in 2025, he is working with Tristan Petit at HZB. © Paula Burch-Celentano/ Tulane University
Professor Michael Naguib, from Tulane University in the USA, is one of the discoverers of a new class of 2D materials: MXenes are characterised by a puff pastry-like structure and have many applications, such as in the production of green hydrogen or as storage media for electrical energy. During his Humboldt Research Award in 2025, Professor Naguib is working with Prof Volker Presser at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken and with Dr Tristan Petit at HZB.
Michael Naguib, Ph.D., is an Ken & Ruth Arnold Early Career Professor in Science and Engineering at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a leading expert in the field of two-dimensional materials. His research group at Tulane University focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel nanomaterials, including MXenes and Transition Metal Carbo-chalcogenides, for energy and environmental applications.
He completed his doctorate in 2014 at Drexel University, where he was involved in the discovery of a new class of materials. At that time, he tested MAX phases (layered ceramics) as electrode materials for lithium batteries. To create more space for the lithium ions, he used an acid and discovered that the “A” layers in the MAX phases had been selectively removed, transforming the remaining MX layers into a structure that, under a scanning electron microscope, resembled puff pastry: MXene.
To date, a wide range of MXenes have been synthesised. Their applications are also highly diverse: MXenes can be used as electrodes for energy storage devices, in catalysis and as sensors for medical applications. ‘I am delighted to deepen our collaboration with Tristan Petit and his team at HZB,’ says Naguib. ‘We will be discussing several fundamental questions regarding our novel materials and preparing a series of experiments to conduct at BESSY II to help us answering these questions.’
Invitation to the Seminar:
Monday, 23.06.2025 at 11 AM
Lecture hall, BESSY II, Albert-Einstein-Straße 15, 12489 Berlin
Prof. Dr. Michael Naguib:
“Tailoring 2D Materials from the Atomic to Nanoscale for Electrochemical Energy Applications”
- Perovskite solar cells: Predictions of long-term stabilityReliable statements about the long-term stability of perovskite solar cells are still difficult to make. However, a new study by Dr Carolin Ulbrich’s team, published in the renowned journal Joule, highlights which methods are useful for this purpose and identifies areas where further research is needed.
- Superconducting TES array X-ray spectrometer goes into operation at BESSY IIEurope's first and only TES-spectrometer at a synchrotron source is now in operation at BESSY II, developed within a collaboration between the HZB, the MPI-CEC (Mühlheim-an-der-Ruhr, Germany) and the NIST (Boulder CO, USA). The photon detection efficiency of the new instrument exceeds that of wavelength-dispersive X-ray emission spectrometers by a factor of 100 to 1000. It will be used to investigate the electronic properties of atomically thin layers, nanostructures and highly diluted atomic and molecular samples. The team is looking forward to receiving exciting research proposals from the user community.
- A New Era in Catalysis: ASCEND Launch in Berlin, €30 Million in FundingOn 11 June 2026, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) in Adlershof hosted the launch of ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation). The event took place in the presence of the Minister of Research, Dorothee Bär, President of the Helmholtz Association, Prof. Dr. Martin Keller, and President of the Max Planck Society, Prof. Dr. Patrick Cramer. Bringing together leading partners from industry and research, ASCEND is supported by BMFTR with €30 million in funding and officially started on 1 April 2026. The initiative aims to accelerate the discovery of next-generation catalysts and enable more sustainable chemical processes.