Prashanth Menezes awarded prestigious VAIBHAV Fellowship by Government of India
Dr. Prashanth Menezes is head of the Department of Materials Chemistry for Catalysis at HZB. He is the sole recipient of the VAIBHAV Fellowship in the Materials and Processing Technologies category in 2025 — a distinction that demonstrates his pioneering contributions to materials chemistry and catalysis. © Michael Setzpfandt / HZB
The Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, has announced the recipients of the Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship, a flagship initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between the Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora and leading research institutions in India. Among the 2025 awardees is Dr. Prashanth W. Menezes, Head of the Department of Materials Chemistry for Catalysis at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB).
Prashanth Menezes is the only awardee in the field of Materials and Processing Technologies this year, recognized for his outstanding contributions to catalysis and materials chemistry.
The VAIBHAV Fellowship, implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), aims to strengthen collaboration between the global Indian STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) diaspora and Indian research institutions. The initiative builds on the success of the VAIBHAV Summit, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which brought together over 25,000 participants from more than 70 countries.
As part of the fellowship, Menezes will collaborate with the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru, to establish intermetallic electrocatalysts for scaled green hydrogen production coupled with the synthesis of value-added chemicals. This initiative aims to advance sustainable energy research and promote eco-friendly hydrogen technologies.
“The VAIBHAV Fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to combine international expertise with India’s rapidly growing research ecosystem,” said Menezes. “Our goal is to contribute meaningfully to the global transition toward sustainable and clean energy.”
Prashanth Menezes is recognized for his contributions to intermetallic catalysis, electrocatalytic processes, and sustainable energy conversion systems. His research has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of catalyst design and reaction mechanisms for renewable energy applications. Menezes’ selection highlights India’s continued commitment to fostering innovation and scientific excellence through global partnerships.
- How carbonates influence CO2-to-fuel conversionResearchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI) have uncovered how carbonate molecules affect the conversion of CO2 into valuable fuels on gold electrocatalysts. Their findings reveal key molecular mechanisms in CO2 electrocatalysis and hydrogen evolution, pointing to new strategies for improving energy efficiency and reaction selectivity.
- Peat as a sustainable precursor for fuel cell catalyst materialsIron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts have the potential to replace the more expensive platinum catalysts currently used in fuel cells. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and universities in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. At BESSY II, the team observed the formation of complex microstructures within various samples. They then analysed which structural parameters were particularly important for fostering the preferred electrochemical reactions. The raw material for such catalysts is well decomposed peat.
- Helmholtz Investigator Group on magnonsDr Hebatalla Elnaggar is setting up a new Helmholtz Investigator Group at HZB. At BESSY II, the materials scientist will investigate so-called magnons in magnetic perovskite thin films. The aim is to lay the foundations for future terahertz magnon technology: magnonic devices operating in the terahertz range could process data using a fraction of the energy required by the most advanced semiconductor devices, and at speeds up to a thousand times faster.