Professor Stefanie Dehnen

Winner: 2023 RSC/GDCh Alexander Todd-Hans Krebs Lectureship in Chemical Sciences

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

For pioneering research on molecular multinary cluster nanoarchitectures for innovative applications in catalysts, white-light emitters, and battery materials.

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Every new compound is like a Christmas present for us.

Professor Dehnen’s current research focus is the synthesis (and experimental and quantum chemical investigation) of compounds with multinary molecular nanoarchitectures. Her group have a particular interest in multi-metallic structures, which due to their electronic and structural properties, are significant for fundamental research in inorganic and materials chemistry. These materials have potential to be applied in a variety of ways; as innovative catalysts, white light emitters, or battery materials.

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Professor Stefanie Dehnen received her diploma in 1993 and her doctoral degree in 1996 from the University of Karlsruhe (now KIT). After a postdoctoral stay in theoretical chemistry (1997), she completed her habilitation in inorganic chemistry in 2004. Since 2006, she has been a Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the Philipps University of Marburg, and accepted a professorship at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in October 2022. She is a full member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc), the Leopoldina German National Academy of Sciences, the Göttingen Academy of Sciences, the Mainz Academy of Sciences and Literature, and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Stefanie’s work has been recognised with numerous awards, including the 2020 Alfred Stock Memorial Prize of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). In 2022, Stefanie was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG) – the highest German-based research award – and an ERC Advanced Grant by the European Research Council. From 2017 to 2022, she has been Chair of the Inorganic Chemistry Division of the GDCh, and from 2020 to 2021, she was Vice President of the GDCh. She is an elected member of the Molecular Chemistry Review Board of the DFG, and Editor-in-Chief of Inorganic Chemistry (ACS).

Q&A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

In my last two years of school, I had a fantastic chemistry teacher, and three of my closest friends also wanted to study chemistry. In addition, I was reading Marie Curie's biography at the time. All this combined was inspiration enough for me to want to become a chemist myself.

What motivates you?

What I find motivating and fascinating about my subject is that we have the opportunity to create something really new in the laboratory. We can "play" with elements of the entire periodic table and find out which combinations that did not exist before can be made accessible with our synthesis techniques – and which properties result for the new substances. These contain so-called cluster molecules, which are generally characterised by a very aesthetic molecular structure. In this way, we combine molecular aesthetics with macroscopic functionality. Every new compound is like a Christmas present for us.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

You should avoid looking at statistical numbers to decide which career path you will take, but rather choose the direction that fascinates you the most. This will allow you to perform best and achieve your personal goals. In addition, try to have a non-chemical hobby, which is a wonderful source of inspiration!

Why is chemistry important?

It is very urgent to address and solve several serious problems. One of them is the acquisition and production of drinking water. Another is the generation and storage of renewable energy and its conversion. The third – and most urgent – is our contribution to preventing the emission of greenhouse gases by effectively capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Without us chemists, these problems cannot be mastered as we need new ideas and innovative compounds and techniques to do so.

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

Probably the biggest challenge was (and is) to simultaneously do justice to my biological family (four children) and my academic family, combined with many other tasks in and for the community. But since "combination" is an integral part of my scientific and non-scientific life, it has worked out perfectly and has also given me inspiration and strength.

What is your favourite element?

I have two favourite elements: tin and bismuth but I love it when they team up with other elements!