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Dániel Hetey is a Ph.D. student from Hungary, where he obtained his master's degree in Materials Science, focusing on colloidal nanosystems and emulsion interfaces. Later, he worked at the University of Vienna as part of ERC DynaMOF, where he investigated potential applications based on the anisotropic properties of Metalorganic Frameworks. He joined the group of Dr. Serhiy Cherevko in July 2025 under the KernKat project to study iridium-based catalysts in acidic media to improve the oxygen evolution process in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWE). To gain a deeper insight into the dissolution mechanism under catalytic conditions, his approach will be based on scanning flow cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SFC-ICP-MS) and gas diffusion electrode (GDE) studies.

Members of our group and our alumnus, Nico were selected to attend the 74th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Chemistry, held from 29 June to 4 July 2025 in Lindau, Germany. They joined over 600 promising young scientists and 33 Nobel Laureates for a week of intense scientific exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Prof. Osmando Ferreira Lopes from the Federal University of Uberlândia (Brazil) will investigate the degradation mechanisms of electrocatalysts for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) during his research stay in our group. His focus lies on understanding metal dissolution processes under operational conditions using online ICP-MS. The visiting research marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Federal University of Uberlândia, aiming to advance catalyst stability studies and promote student exchanges in the field of sustainable electrochemical technologies.

Yi-Hsuan acquired the D.Sc. in ETH Zurich in 2025 under supervision from Prof. Christoph R. Müller, where he developed metal-oxide (photo)electrocatalysts for energy conversion and biomass-derivative valorization. 

He joined Dr. Serhiy Cherevko’s group in April 2025 and plans to start the Humboldt fellowship from August 2025 in search of combining diverse developed techniques in HIERN for expanding knowledge in the intrinsic stability of electrocatalysts and gas-diffusion-layer-scale studies.

Welcome, Yi-Hsuan!

Matija is a Master’s student from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, currently completing my thesis as part of an Erasmus exchange at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, in collaboration with the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN). His research is focused on studying nickel-iron catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline conditions, using gas diffusion electrodes (GDE). Overall the project involves evaluation of catalyst activity and stability under conditions ranging from laboratory-scale to those representative of industrial alkaline water electrolysis. 

Prof. Gabriel da Silva from the Federal University of Viçosa (Brazil) will research different electrochemical systems during his stay in our group. The visiting professorship is the basis for a long-term research cooperation with Brazil in the field of renewable energies.

Moritz's presentation about the quantification of Ir dissolution using a GDE setup was awarded a "Best Oral Presentation Award" at the HYCELTEC2024 conference in Milazzo, Italy. In his research, Moritz shows that a GDE half-cell setup can be used to quantify Ir dissolution from real catalyst layers relevant to PEMWE conditions. However, challenges still exist. A publication on the awarded research will hopefully be accepted and shared with the community soon!

Carolin Sophie Igel attended the 8^th Baltic Electrochemistry Conference hosted by the University of Tartu, Estonia. Her work on “Activity and Dissolution Stability of Ir/Ru- based Electrocatalysts Tested in a Model Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer " won the Best Student Poster Award! 

Cornelius Simon, a bachelor student in Chemical Engineering - Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the FAU in Erlangen, joined the group to conduct his bachelor thesis under the supervision of Matej Zlatar.
Using the Rotating Ring Disk Electrode (RRDE) and the Scanning Flow Cell (SFC) coupled to an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS), Cornelius will study the electrochemical activity and stability of Ir catalysts during the Oxygen and Chlorine Evolution Reaction.
His work will be based on his previous experience as a research assistant with Matej Zlatar.