Author: chemopsycho

Energase project kick-off

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From left to right: Moritz Kühnel, Hajo Kries, Michael Stier, Fabrizio Casilli, Ewan McQueen, Johannes Kästner

We kicked off our ENERGASE project with a workshop at the University of Stuttgart’s Institut of Technical Biochemistry with our collaborators from the Kries and Kästner groups. In this project, we aim to jointly develop a de novo enzyme to produce green hydrogen through a non-natural mechanism. To do that, we are combining theory, synthetic biologyand nanotechnology. This blue-sky project is funded by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung and their CZS Wildcard programme for high-risk-high-reward ideas.

Welcome Thomas and Antonia

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Thomas Albani joins the Kühnel Lab as from University of Milano-Bicocca as an intern funded by the an Eramsus+ mobility programme. Thomas will work on flow photochemistry for his Chemistry Master’s project.

Antonia Lämmle-Berkhan joins us as research intern as part of her Environmental Protection & Agricultural Food Production Master’s degree at Uni Hohenheim. She will work on biohybrid waste upgrading in collaboration with Christine Cavazza and Julien Pérard at CEA Grenoble.

We are hiring

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The Kühnel Lab is looking for a German-speaking PhD candidate (TV-L E13, 50%) to join us from October 2026. We value team spirit, open communication and ambition. The successful candidate will work experimentally in the field of (semi)artificial photosynthesis e.g. on the synthesis of catalysts, characterisation of photo/electrochemical properties, or reaction engineering. The role includes organisation and teaching duties in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, e.g. lab demonstrating and course supervision. Applicants must hold a masters in chemistry or equivalent degree in a related discipline and must be fluent German speakers. The ideal candidate can demonstrate enthusiasm for research, motivation for acquiring new synthetic/analytical techniques and excellent people skills. Applications must be made in German via the online portal by 31/5/2026 (link).

Welcome Ewan

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Ewan McQueen joins the Kühnel Lab as a postdoc funded by the Carl-Zeiss-Foundation. Ewan obtained his PhD in Seb Sprick’s lab at the University of Strathclyde, where he developed organc photocatalysts for hydrogen production and CO2 reduction. Ewan will work on the ENERGASE project, in which we are developing a metal-free enzyme for hydrogen production in collaboration with the groups of Hajo Kries and Johannes Kästner at University of Stuttgart.

Season’s Greetings from the Kühnel Lab 🎄✨

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To wrap up the year, the Kühnel Lab came together for a Christmas potluck dinner. The group did an amazing job decorating our lovely grey seminar room with a colourful mix of of chemistry and Xmas themes. The weather was a little too sunny for Xmas, but the decorations and the food more than made up for it.

We were also really happy to be joined by some of our group alumni for a catch-up over a glass of mulled wine. Thanks to everyone for a great evening and a hugely successful year for the group!

The Kühnel Lab wishes you a merry and peaceful holiday season and a Happy New Year 2026!

Back row: Taylor, Astha, Zegha, Claudia, Marija, Joao, Mike, Fiona, Diana, Franziska, Léonard, Moritz
Front row: Zaid, Nils

Paper in ACS Sustainable Resource Management

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Astha’s article about a waste-derived photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution was published in ACS Sustainable Resource Management (read her paper here) and is featuerd on the supplementary cover. This paper demonstrates how a nanocomposite from waste coffee grounds (an abundant resource in the Kühnel Lab) and an anthraquinone-base covalent organic framework acts as an active catalyst for solar-driven hydrogen evolution from pure water. This COFfee catalyst forms a Z-scheme type heterojunction with improved charge separation and much improved performance compared to the pure COF that requires 75% less photocatalyst to produce the same amount of hydrogen.

Paper in J Mater Chem A

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Léonard’s article about an artificial metalloenzyme for hydrogen evolution was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A (read his paper here). This paper led by our collaborators Christine Cavazza and Alan Le Goff in Grenoble demonstrates the site-specific attachment of a Rubredoxin protein to a carbon nanotube electrode via diazonium coupling of a thiophenolate. After substituting the Rubredoxin Fe for Ni, the resulting surface-bound artificial metalloenzyme acts as an efficient H2-evolving electrocatalyst with up to 4 mA cm-2 at 800 mV overpotential.