The Kühnel Lab is looking for a motivated German-speaking PhD candidate (TVÖD E 13, 50%). We value team spirit, open communication and ambition. The successful candidate will work experimentally in the field of artificial photosynthesis e.g. on the synthesis and characterisation of materials and/or coordination compounds and performance testing as potential photo/electrocatalysts. The role includes duties in the organisation and teaching of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, e.g. lab demonstrating. 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 people skills. Experience in electrochemistry, photocatalysis and gas chromatography are desirable. Applications must be made in German via the online portal by 31/8/2024 (link).
Author: chemopsycho
Welcome Cem
Mücahit Cem Peküz joins the Kühnel Lab as a research intern from Gebze Technical
University, Instanbul.
Moritz speaks at GdR Solar Fuels
Moritz is invited to the joint meeting of the CNRS Groupes de Recherche Solar Fuels and Photo Electro Stimulation in Grenoble 24th-26th June (link to meeting) and delivers the IMBG Plenary Lecture about our research. Many thanks to the organisers for their invitation to this very enjoyable meeting!
Paper in Dalton Trans
Read Maite’s paper on MOF-based photocatalysts that was part of a bigger collaboration with the University of the Basque Country and Oulu University. In this paper, we investigate hydrogels based on disordered MOFs and study how different ways of platinum incorporation affect their performance for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (link to paper).
Welcome Linnea, Zegha and Zaid
Linnea Ossenkop and Zegha Ghirmay join the Kühnel lab as technicians. Zaid Wonde starts as research intern working on photocatalytic hydrogen generation form biomass.
Our kit arrives
Finally, customs let us import our equipment from Wales to Germany. 4 pallets containing almost 1000 kg of lab equipment have been shipped from Swansea University to our new lab space in Hohenheim, all looking safe and sound. Time to set up the GC and solar simulator to get the research going!
Welcome Kai
Kai Lucas Brinschwitz joins the Kühnel Lab as a research intern from University of Stuttgart. Kai will soon start his Master’s project on electrochmical waste oxidation in collaboration with Christina Roth’s Lab at University of Bayreuth. We are expecting results as good as Kai’s attire!
Bye-bye Swansea Lab
We spent half a week packing up all our equipment at Swansea University for shipping. Thanks to Brexit, there is still a lot of paperwork to be completed before it will be collected and sent to Hohenheim. Fingers crossed it’ll go through customs clearance and arrives in one piece.
Paper in ACS Sustainable Chem Eng
Read our paper with Ali Rauf’s group at Lahore University of Management Sciences on how to turn plastic waste and CO2 into formic acid using electricity. We stabilised electrodes based on earth-abundant elements by redox-doping to enable simultaneous oxidation of ethylene glycol and reduction of CO2. Both half-rections yield formic acid as the sole product, making this a green, convergent approach to valueable feedstocks currently produced from fossil reosurces (link to paper).
Moritz appointed as professor
Moritz is appointed to a tenured position as Chair of Inorganic Chemistry (W3) in the Institute of Chemistry at the University of Hohenheim. Moritz also serves as managing director of the Institute of Chemistry and as Head of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry (formerly Department of Bioinorganic Chemistry and Chemical Evolution).
Kühnel Lab 