Research

The activities of the Steinrück group focus on the area of surface and interface science at the border between chemistry and physics. Main research interests are the development of new materials with novel electronic, geometric and chemical properties, the investigation of elementary steps of surface reactions, and the construction of advanced scientific apparatus.

These studies aim at a fundamental physical and chemical understanding of the mechanisms and processes involved, at the molecular level. The Steinrück group has performed outstanding research and received highest international recognition in the following areas of fundamental research: Surface and interface properties of ionic liquids, model studies for hydrogen storage in liquid organic hydrogen carriers, surface chemistry of redox-active metalloporphyrins, in situ studies of surface reactions, chemical modification of supported graphene, and electron beam induced deposition (EBID) of nanostructures on different surfaces. For these studies, a large variety of state-of-the art spectroscopic or microscopic techniques is applied, partly utilizing synchrotron radiation.

Career

• 2009 - 2015 Guest Professor, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei, China
• 2006 - 2011 Vice President, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• 2003 - 2005 Dean, Faculty of Science II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• 2002 - 2003 Senator, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• 2001 - 2003  Vice-Dean, Faculty of Science II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• 1998 - 1999 Chairman, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Faculty of Science II, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• since 1998 Full Professor (C4/W3) of Physical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
• 1994 - 1998 Associate Professor (C3) of Experimental Physics, Department of Physics, Universität Würzburg, Germany
• 1993 Visiting Scientist, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Rutgers University, USA
• 1992 Habilitation (Dr.rer.nat. habil.) in Experimental Physics, Technische Universität (TU) München, Germany
• 1986 - 1994 Assistant of Prof. Dr. Menzel, Department of Physics, TU München
• 1985 - 1986 Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. R. J. Madix, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, USA
• 1985 PhD (Dr. techn.) in Physics, Technische Universität Graz, Austria
• 1983 Diploma in Technical Physics (Dipl.-Ing.) at TU Graz
• 1978 - 1983 Physics studies, TU Graz

Functions

• 2016 - 2018 DFG Senate Commission for Collaborative Research Centers (SFB), German Science Foundation (DFG)
• 2015 Chairman, Chemical Sciences Panel, Evaluation of the Institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences
• since 2015 Advisory Board, Materials Science and Physics Division, Universität Salzburg, Austria
• 2014 Special working group of the RIKEN Advisory Council, Japan
• since 2014 Editor of Surface Science
• 2012 - 2013 Review Panel “Synergy Grants”, European Research Council (ERC)
• 2011 - 2016 Member, DFG-Fachkollegium 302 „Chemische Festkörperforschung“
• 2010 - 2016 Chairman, Advisory Board, Fritz-Haber-Institut, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Berlin
• 2009 - 2011 Scientific Council (SC), Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)
• since 2008 Scientific Advisory Board, Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ANKA), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
• 2008 - 2009 Vice-Chair, Advisory Committee for Research with Photons (AFP), BMBF
• 2007 - 2011 Intern. Advisory Board, Max Planck Society - Chinese Academy of Science (MPG-CAS) Partner group, University of Science and Technology China (USTC)
• 2005 - 2008 Commission for Research on Condensed Matter at Large Scale Facilities in Germany (KEKM)
• 2005 - 2008 Chairman, German Committee for Research with Synchrotron Radiation
• 2004 - 2008 Scientific Advisory Committee, BESSY II, Berlin
• 2003 - 2005 Scientific Advisory Committee, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), France
• 1996 - 2004 Beam Time Review Panels at BESSY (1996 - 2002) and ESRF (2003 - 2004)
• 2000 - 2002 Chairman, Surface Science Division of the German Physical Society (DPG)

Projects

• 2016 - 2021 ERC Advanced Grant “Ionic Liquid Interface Dynamics”
• 2014 - 2017 DFG Research Group FOR 1878 “Functional Molecular Structures on Complex Oxide Surfaces”
• 2011 - 2019 DFG SFB 953 “Synthetic Carbon Allotropes”
• 2007 - 2017 DFG Cluster of Excellence EXC 315/1 “Engineering of Advanced Materials”
• 2006 - 2012 DFG SPP 1191 “Ionic Liquids”
• 2004 - 2012 DFG SFB 583 “Redox active metal complexes”
• 2000 - 2007 DFG SPP 1091“Brückenschläge in der Heterogenen Katalyse”
• 1999 - 2001 DFG SFB 292“Mehrkomponentige Schichtsysteme”
• 1995 - 1998 DFG SFB 410 “II-VI Halbleiter”
• 1989 - 1995 DFG SFB 338“Adsorption an Festkörperoberflächen”

Honours and Memberships

• since 2018 Member of the European Academy of Sciences
• 2017 Medard W. Welch Award of the American Vacuum Society
• since 2016 Fellow, Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• since 2016 Member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2016 ERC Advanced Grant 2015
• 2015 Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Szeged, Hungary
• since 2015 Corresponding Member of Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)
• since 2013 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS)
• since 2012 Full member of Academia Europaea – The Academy of Europe
• 1986 Fritz Kohlrausch-Preis, Austrian Physical Society
• 1983-1985 Scholarship by the Austrian sponsorship organisation PRO SCIENTIA
• 1983 Young Researcher Award, Federation of Austrian Industry
• 1980-1985 Scholarship for Outstanding Students, TU Graz