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.
- Ernst Eckhard Koch Prize and Innovation Award on Synchrotron Radiation 2025At the 27th BESSY@HZB User Meeting, the Friends of HZB honoured the dissertation of Dr Enggar Pramanto Wibowo (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg). The Innovation Award on Synchrotron Radiation 2025 went to Prof. Tim Salditt (Georg-August-University Göttingen) and Professors Danny D. Jonigk and Maximilian Ackermann (both, University Hospital of RWTH Aachen University).
- Bright prospects for tin perovskite solar cellsPerovskite solar cells are widely regarded as the next generation photovoltaic technology. However, they are not yet stable enough in the long term for widespread commercial use. One reason for this is migrating ions, which cause degradation of the semiconducting material over time. A team from HZB and the University of Potsdam has now investigated the ion density in four different, widely used perovskite compounds and discovered significant differences. Tin perovskite semiconductors produced with an alternative solvent had a particular low ion density — only one tenth that of lead perovskite semiconductors. This suggests that tin-based perovskites could be used to make solar cells that are not only really environmentally friendly but also very stable.
- 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.