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Humboldt Fellow Dr. Safa Khemissi Studies the Molecular Basis of Cancer Medication
Mission statement: PCI
From Nanostructures to Molecules to Catalysis and Theory
The Department of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry is an integral part of the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The history of the institute begins in the summer of 1894, when for the first time the study of electrochemistry was offered here, which secured the young generation for the growing electrotechnical and chemical industry. Over time, the range of expertise is wider than ever before.
Research at the institute
The institute brings together numerous research groups working in various fields of physical chemistry and electrochemistry. Close interdisciplinary collaborations with partners from academia and industry reflect a strong record of third-party funding and participation in several joint research projects. Local partners include the German Institute of Rubber Technology (DIK), the Laboratory for Nano and Quantum Engineering (LNQE), the Laser Center Hannover (LZH), the Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), and the Biomolecular Drug Discovery Center (BMWZ), as well as many other institutions within Lower Saxony’s research landscape.
Research of international fellows at our institute
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Historical background
Our history goes way back to the Higher Trade School, which was set up in 1831 and was the forerunner of Leibniz University. In 1894, the electrochemistry programme was introduced at the Technical University of Hannover. Important figures such as Max Bodenstein, who contributed to kinetics and electrochemistry, Friedrich Bergius, who received international recognition for his work in chemical engineering, and Nobel Prize winner Gerhard Ertl, famous for his research on catalysis on metal surfaces, had a significant influence on the development of the institute.
Campus and building
The historical building complex of the Hannover Chemistry was extensively renovated until 2016 and the buildings professionally restored. As part of the handover of the renovated building in 2015, an exceptional ceiling lighting system was installed in the stairwell of the Physical Chemistry.
The light installation in the institute building depicts the diffraction pattern of a quasicrystal as a ceiling image. The physicist Daniel Shechtman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2011 for his discovery of the quasicrystal. Crystal structure analysis with diffraction methods is indispensable for chemical materials research.
Its location in the close distance to the Welfenschloss and the Prinzengarten combines the historical character of the campus with a compact research environment in which the various chemical disciplines work closely together. This results in short distances and a lively scientific environment for students, doctoral candidates and visiting researchers from all over the world.
