Functional inorganic solids & quantum materials
Most of the benchmark systems used in catalysis are inorganic in nature. And yet, commercially relevant catalysts constitute a tiny subset of the inorganic materials space. We have a long-standing interest in the de novo design of robust inorganic catalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution catalysis, informed by structure-property-function relationships. To this end, we explore new material concepts for catalysis, ranging from strain engineering in delafossites to transition metal oxide nanosheets for atom efficient catalysis. Along these lines, we explore the interface between quantum and energy materials to harness quantum effects for energy conversion and storage, e.g., for topological catalysis or spin-selective transformations.
© Image courtesy of Viola Duppel (MPI for Solid State Research)
Recent Publications
Cu-Al Layered Double Hydroxides as Precursors to Operando Formed Dendritic Cu for Electrochemical CO2RR
L. Camuti, F. Heck, V. Sprenger, N. Weiß, C. Schneider, V. Duppel, R.K. Kremer, S. Bette, B.V. Lotsch
Chem. Mater. 2026, 38, 672-682. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c01903
Phase-Stable Palladium Hydride Derived from PdCoO2 for Sustainable Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
L. Camuti, S.-H. Kim, F. Podjaski, M. Vega-Paredes, A.M. Mingers, T. Acartürk, U. Starke, B.V. Lotsch, C. Scheu, B. Gault, S. Zhang
Adv. Funct. Mater. 2025, e14366. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202514366
Key Publications
Atomic Insights into the Competitive Edge of Nanosheets Splitting Water
L.J. Falling, W. Jang, S. Laha, T. Götsch, M.W. Terban, S. Bette, R. Mom, J.-J. Velasco-Vélez, F. Girgsdies, D. Teschner, A. Tarasov, C.-H. Chuang, T. Lunkenbein, A. Knop-Gericke, D. Weber, R.E. Dinnebier, B.V. Lotsch, R. Schlögl, T.E. Jones
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 27886–27902. Article
The Weyl Semimetals MIrTe4 (M = Nb, Ta) as EfficientCatalysts for Dye-Sensitized Hydrogen Evolution
M. Samanta, H. Tan, S. Laha, H.A. Vignolo-González, L. Grunenberg, S. Bette, V. Duppel, P. Schützendübe, A. Gouder, B. Yan, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Energy Mater. 2023, 13, 2300503. Article
Rational strain engineering in delafossite oxides for highly efficient hydrogen evolution catalysis in acidic media
F. Podjaski, D. Weber, S. Zhang, L. Diehl, R. Eger, V. Duppel, E. Alarcón-Lladó, G. Richter, F. Haase, A. Fontcuberta i Morral, C. Scheu, B.V. Lotsch
Nature Catalysis 2020, 3, 55–63. Article