Research at MPI CEC

An integrated research approach

The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion focuses on basic research into the sustainable conversion of energy and chemical bonds. Three scientific departments work closely together, pursuing an integrated approach that combines mechanistic investigations, rational design, controlled synthesis and innovative applications. The aim is to gain a fundamental understanding of catalytic processes in both technological and natural systems and to derive new concepts for a sustainable energy and chemical supply.

Networking of expertise in catalysis and electrosynthesis research

Research at the MPI CEC combines expertise in molecular, biological and material-based catalysis as well as in electrosynthesis. Prof. Serena DeBeer's Inorganic Spectroscopy Department develops and utilises advanced spectroscopic methods, in particular X-ray spectroscopy, to elucidate the electronic and structural properties of catalytically active centres and their dynamic transformations.
The Molecular Catalysis Department, headed by Prof. Walter Leitner, is dedicated to the development and understanding of molecular principles underlying the activation of small molecules and the conversion of raw materials into energy sources, fuels and chemical products.
The Electrosynthesis Department, headed by Prof. Siegfried R. Waldvogel, researches innovative electrochemical methods for the sustainable activation and functionalisation of molecules. In this process, electrical current – ideally from renewable sources – is used in a targeted manner to control chemical reactions efficiently, selectively and in a resource-saving manner.

Foundations for a sustainable energy and chemical future

Against the backdrop of the energy transition, the MPI CEC is investigating catalytic and electrochemical systems for the activation of small molecules such as CO₂, H₂O, H₂, O₂ and N₂. Electricity from renewable sources is used directly or via hydrogen as a central molecular energy carrier. Guided by the principles of green chemistry, the institute's research lays the scientific foundations for new, sustainable technologies, thereby making a significant contribution to a sustainable energy and chemical supply.