Untitled - Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy

Professor Dirk M. Guldi participated in the 1st International Symposium on Artificial Photosynthesis, hosted by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu, China, from May 29–31, 2026. The symposium brought together leading researchers from around the world to discuss recent advances in the fundamental science and technological applications of artificial [&#82…

By combining electronic-structure calculations with non-adiabatic and Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics simulations, we uncover the molecular mechanisms governing the photoinduced chemistry of aza-diarylethene photoswitches and explain their distinct reaction outcomes.

Happy to see that two people start in our group recently: Robin Bretteville is starting as a PhD candidate and Philipp Groppe came back as a PostDoc. Additionally, a big new device arrived as well, stay tuned for more updates!

We are happy to welcome our new group member Philipp. Philipp Groppe obtained his M.Sc. in Material Science from the University of Würzburg in 2020 and successfully completed his PhD studies at the FAU in 2025, in which he focused on the adjustment and understanding of the nanoporous structure of spray-dried supraparticles with catalytic properties. […]

We are happy to welcome our new group member Robin. Robin completed his studies at the ENSCR (National School of Higher Studies in Chemistry of Rennes) and the University of Rennes in France. He earned an engineering diploma in chemistry from the ENSCR and a Master of Science in solid-state chemistry from the University of […]

Professor Dirk M. Guldi, delivered an invited presentation at the 2026 I-APS Meeting, organized by the Inter-American Photochemical Society and held in Águas de Lindóia, São Paulo, Brazil, from May 16–19, 2026. In his talk, entitled “Adaptive Light Management for Energy Conversion,” Guldi presented recent advances in the development of adaptive molecular and nanoscale systems […]

Our shell-less hen’s egg model supports the FPZ as 3R technology platform! The shell-less chicken egg model (ex ovo) is a versatile system that is cost-effective, highly reproducible, and can be rapidly applied to address a wide range of research questions in the fields of toxicity, angiogenesis, biodistribution, wound healing, and targeted therapies for both […]

Our shell-less hen’s egg model supports the FPZ as 3R technology platform! The shell-less chicken egg model (ex ovo) is a versatile system that is cost-effective, highly reproducible, and can be rapidly applied to address a wide range of research questions in the fields of toxicity, angiogenesis, biodistribution, wound healing,...

The Royal Society of Chemistry is currently accepting nominations for the 2026 EES Lectureship, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the field of energy and environmental science. Awarded annually in conjunction with the journal Energy & Environmental Science, the lectureship honours researchers who have made an outstanding contribution to...

Prof. Dirk Guldi of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU) and Spokesperson of FAU Solar has been appointed to the Advisory Board of Matter & Light, a newly established scientific journal published by Cell Press. The appointment reflects the international standing of FAU’s research in the field of photophysics and molecular materials science....

Prof. Abner de Siervo (Unicamp) and Prof. Hans-Peter Steinrück (FAU) jointly submitted a BAYLAT / FAPESP application for two workshops on “Innovative routes to low-dimensional materials“. Aim of the funding scheme is promoting young scientists and initiating or strengthening cooperation between Bavaria and the state of São Paulo in Brazil....

Just as our hands are mirror images of each other, light itself can also exhibit mirror-image or “chiral” behavior. The controlled modulation of such chiral light signals plays an important role in sensor technology, asymmetric synthesis, and optical signal and information processing. A novel method for controlling chiral light output signals—again via light input signals—is […]

A new Erasmus+ partnership between the Chair of Food Chemistry at FAU’s Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy and the Department of Food Science and Technology at Kasetsart University in Bangkok has been established. “We plan research co-operations on novel applications of plant proteins and strive for sustainable exchange of our...

Just as our hands are mirror images of each other, light itself can also exhibit mirror-image or “chiral” behavior. The controlled modulation of such chiral light signals plays an important role in sensor technology, asymmetric synthesis, and optical signal and information processing. A novel method for controlling chiral light output...

At the ChemOnTubes 2026 conference, held in Prague from April 12–16, Dirk Guldi delivered a compelling presentation entitled “Carbon Dots in Action: Advancing from Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells to Photocatalysis.” His talk highlighted recent advances in the design and functional integration of carbon-based nanomaterials, with a particular emphasis on carbon dots...

We are excited to share our latest publication in Nanoscale Advances: “Magnetite nanodiscs as vortex-enhanced MRI contrast agents: a novel approach in medical imaging”, where we explore the potential of magnetite nanodiscs as next-generation MRI contrast agents for biomedical imaging. In this study, we demonstrate that vortex-state magnetic nanodiscs exhibit unique field-dependent mag…

Trajectory surface hopping (SH) simulations are widely used to study excited-state dynamics, but extracting mechanistic insight often requires extensive manual analysis and custom scripts. We introduce SHNITSEL-tools, a software package that enables automated, reproducible workflows for analyzing, filtering, and visualizing SH data. By enabling efficient comparisons across systems and methods,...

Our latest publication in Wiley Advanced Science: “Remote Magnetomechanical Neuromodulation Uncovers Therapeutic Mechanisms for Alleviating Parkinsonian Symptoms in Freely Moving Mice” is now online. This is the first in-vivo demonstration of our wireless, minimally invasive platform for remote magnetomechanical neuromodulation. Using biocompatible magnetic nanodiscs and externally applied …

Dirk M. Guldi, Professor at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Spokesperson of FAU Solar, delivered a plenary lecture at the international conference MATSUS 2026, held in Barcelona, Spain, from March 23–27, 2026. As a leading expert in the field of functional carbon-rich materials and photophysical processes, Guldi was invited to present...

We are delighted to welcome Alejandro Cortés Villena as a new guest researcher and Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow in the Guldi Group (Chair of Physical Chemistry I) at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). Alejandro obtained his undergraduate degree in Chemistry in 2017 from the...