New HZB magazine "Lichtblick" has been published
In the new issue, we introduce our new commercial managing director. We also show how important exchange is to us: science thrives on fruitful exchange with others. But dialogue with the public is also very important to us. Art can also create enriching access to science and build bridges. All these topics are covered in the new issue of Lichtblick.
Click here for the online edition
Topics at a glance
A portrait of our Administrative director
The new Administrative Director, Saskia Vormfelde, took up her work in September – and brings more than just a knack for balance sheets to the table. You can read about what she has done so far and why she is looking forward to working at HZB in the cover story. > Portrait on the internet
What remains of the Helmholtz reviews in May?
Many colleagues were busy preparing for the programme-oriented research (PoF) reviews in the first half of 2025. In an interview, the two coordinators, Olaf Schwarzkopf and Tobias Sontheimer, talk about how the presentation was received by the reviewers. > Interview to read
The neuron accelerator brings art and research together
A place that invites brainstorming: artist Peter Sandhaus' neuron accelerator is designed to strengthen exchange and stimulate new ideas. The artwork has recently been installed in front of the entrance to the BESSY II building. > More about the artwork
Further topics
Good advice in the service of science: Sebastian Fiechter is a long-standing ombudsperson for good scientific practice and talks about the problems that can arise.
Why we are becoming more public: Dialogue and exchange on an equal footing help to build trust in science. That's why we approach people at many festivals.
The internationality of our employees: How international are we really?
- Green hydrogen with PEC electrolysers: New insights into transport processesOne method of storing solar energy is to use PEC electrolysers to produce hydrogen. However, scaling up this technology remains challenging. Now, a team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has used 2D fluorescence imaging and particle velocimetry to observe the movement of ions and dissolved gases within the electrolyte during electrolysis. These new insights may prove useful in the development of larger PEC electrolysers.
- New contact material boosts the efficiency of perovskite solar cellsA newly developed material for the electron contact improves the efficiency of single perovskite solar cells and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. The new material is based on a carborane molecule. It offers several advantages over the standard material C60, as shown by the study led by Steve Albrecht’s team. The new material has since been patented and is already commercially available.
- BESSY II: New sample environment allows glimpse into thermocatalytic processesA novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, soft and hard X-ray investigations under high pressures of up to 20 bar and temperatures of up to 400°C. This provides new insights into thermocatalytic processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for producing synthetic fuels. The development of the measurement cell is considered a significant achievement within the Care-O-Sene project.