[08.10.25] From October 6–8, 2025, the International Summer School “Natural Water to Hydrogen” was held at the University of Duisburg-Essen, bringing together postdoctoral researchers and PhD students to learn about the latest advances in hydrogen production from natural water.

Over three inspiring days, participants explored topics such as electrocatalysis, membrane processes, simulations, water treatment, and renewable hydrogen technologies. The event featured engaging lectures, interactive poster sessions, and vivid discussions that fostered collaboration and exchange across disciplines.

🔬 Highlights included:

• Prof. Wolfgang Schuhmann (Ruhr University Bochum, Germany) – provided deep insights into the fundamentals of electrocatalysis and high-throughput catalyst screening.

• Prof. Astrid Müller (University of Rochester, USA) – demonstrated how laser-made electrocatalysts can drive sustainability applications.

• Prof. Richard Kramer Camper (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) – presented innovative approaches in operando vibrational spectroelectrochemistry.

• Prof. Amanda Cristina Garcia (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands) – discussed the influence of electrolyte effects in electrocatalytic reactions.

• Prof. Kai Exner (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) – shared simulation-based insights into OER and HER reaction mechanisms.

• Dr. Ioannis Spanos (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Germany) – explored the impact of impurities on water electrolysis performance.

• Prof. Mathias Ulbricht (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) – outlined fundamentals and applications of electromembrane processes.

• Prof. Stefan Panglisch (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) – highlighted recent advances in water treatment technologies.

• Prof. Piet Lens (IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Netherlands) – compared biochemical and thermochemical pathways for hydrogen production.

• Dr. Frank Maaß (Editor-in-Chief, Angewandte Chemie, Germany) – offered an exclusive look behind the scenes of scientific publishing.

• Prof. Ahmed S. G. Khalil (Fayoum University, Egypt) – presented innovative 3D polymeric foams and membranes for oily wastewater treatment.

A heartfelt thank you to all speakers for making this event a success! Your contributions made the Summer School an inspiring platform for scientific exchange and innovation in sustainable hydrogen research.

Two poster sessions, a networking get-together, and a guided tour through Duisburg’s Old Town complemented the scientific program, creating a lively and collaborative atmosphere.

We look forward to continuing this exciting journey toward a greener energy future.

The event was organized as part of the project “Natural Water to Hydrogen” and funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (PB NRW 2022 – Application 19).

[07.07.25] Oxygen evolution is considered one of the most energy-intensive steps in water electrolysis and is therefore a key factor for more efficient green hydrogen production. Modelling of the reaction mechanisms has so far been based on the assumption that the elementary steps take place sequentially and not in a concerted manner. A team led by Prof. Dr. Kai S. Exner from the University of Duisburg-Essen has now shown that this assumption is not always correct. The results, published in Nature Communications, open up new possibilities for improving solid catalysts for energy conversion and storage applications.

Image: Illustration of the Walden-like mechanism in which water (H₂O) adsorbs on the catalytically active surface and oxygen (O₂) detaches at the same time. Oxygen atoms are shown as large red spheres, hydrogen is symbolised by the smaller white ones. Iridium atoms are represented as large, light green spheres.

Original Publication: Usama, M., Razzaq, S., Hättig, C., Steinmann, S. & Exner, K. S. Oxygen evolution reaction on IrO₂(110) is governed by Walden-type mechanisms. Nat. Commun. 16, 6137 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61367-z

Further Information:
Prof. Dr. Kai S. Exner, Theoretical Catalysis and Electrochemistry, +49 201/18 3-2992, kai.exner@uni-due.de

Editor: Birte Vierjahn, +49 203/37 9-2427, birte.vierjahn@uni-due.de

👏 Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Kai S. Exner and his team on their outstanding publication!

[26.05.25] We were honored to welcome Prof. Jun Huang from the FZ Jülich and RWTH Aachen University to the University of Duisburg-Essen for an inspiring guest lecture titled:
"Potential of Density-Potential Functional Theoretic Models for Electrochemical Interfaces."

🎙️ Invited by Prof. Kai Exner and Prof. Corina Andronescu, this lecture brought deep theoretical insight into one of the most challenging frontiers in energy materials research: modeling electrocatalytic double layers under realistic electrochemical conditions.

Prof. Huang, who leads a Helmholtz Young Investigators Group at FZ Jülich and serves as a Junior Professor at RWTH Aachen, introduced his pioneering work on Density-Potential Functional Theory (DPFT) - a novel modeling framework built to overcome the limitations of traditional DFT approaches.

We are grateful to Prof. Huang for sharing his cutting-edge research and to all attendees for their active engagement in the Q&A-session. Events like this enrich our research environment and foster meaningful exchange at the intersection of theory, materials science, and energy research.

👏 Thank you, Prof. Huang, for an outstanding talk and for inspiring our community here at UDE!

[16.05.25] As local hosts, we were pleased to welcome Wiley to the University of Duisburg-Essen for a hands-on and inspiring Publishing Workshop.

The event brought together early-career researchers, doctoral candidates, and faculty members for an engaging session on two important topics:

🧠 AI Tools for Research & Publishing
Participants received a clear and thoughtful introduction to the practical use of AI tools to support their academic writing and research organization. Importantly, current publishing policies around AI use were discussed - an increasingly relevant topic across disciplines.

📝 Scientific Writing: Tips on Structure, Language & Clarity
Dr. Kira Welter, Editor-in-Chief of ChemPhysChem, offered valuable editorial insights on how to improve manuscript clarity, structure, and overall impact. Her advice, based on over 20 years of experience in scientific publishing, resonated strongly with our audience.

👏 We are especially grateful to Dr. Kira Welter for her time, expertise, and approachable style, as well as to the Wiley team for bringing this initiative to our campus.

We view events like this as essential to strengthening scientific communication and supporting the next generation of scholars. Thank you to all attendees who participated so actively - we hope you left with both inspiration and practical tools for your publishing journey.

[05.02.24] With a total of 42 participants, our project kick-off has been presented to a larger audience with exciting keynote speeches and fruitful discussions. Many thanks to our keynote speakers and participants for the great and interdisciplinary exchange!