Postdoc

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Advisor: Prof. Christopher C. Cummins

Dr. rer. nat. (summa cum laude)

Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry (previously MPI for Radiation Chemistry) Mülheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany, Jan. 1998
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt
Dissertation: "Molecular and Electronic Structure of High-Valent Transition Metal Nitrido Complexes"

Diploma in Chemistry

Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, May 1995
Advisor: Prof. Karl Wieghardt

eCV 09/2008 (get it here)

research fellowships and experience

Jan. 2006 - present
Professor at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg (Chair of Inorganic Chemistry II)

Jan. 2001 - 2005
Assistant Professor at UCSD

Oct. 1998 - Oct. 2000
Postdoctoral Fellow, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at MIT with Prof. Christopher C. Cummins

Feb. 1998 - Oct. 1998
Research Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society

July 1995 - Jan. 1998
Ph.D. Fellowship, Max-Planck-Society

awards and professional affiliations

DFG Postdoctoral Fellowship, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, 1999/2000

Hellman Fellow, Chris & Warren Hellman Young Faculty Award, 2002

Faculty Career Development Award, Academic Senate, 2003

Alfred P. Sloan Award, 2004/2005

Israel Chemical Society, Honorary Member, 2009

Visiting Professor at the University of Manchester, since 2009

German Chemical Society, Member (since 1995)

American Chemical Society, Member (since 1997)

American Nuclear Society, Member (2001 - 2005)

Currently Reviewer for J. Am. Chem. Soc., Inorganic Chemistry, Science, Nature, Organometallics, Chem. Commun., Dalton Transactions, Polyhedron, Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, Angewandte Chemie, and National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Volkswagen Stiftung, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (AvH)

Volume Editor for Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry-III
(Volume 2: alkaline and alkaline earth metals, Cu and Zn group)

invited lectures and presentations

2009

Chemie zwischen Phobie & Begeisterung, Aktivierung von CO2 an Komplexen des Urans
Universität Paderborn. June 2009. GDCh Vortrag

Chemie zwischen Phobie & Begeisterung, Aktivierung von CO2 an Komplexen des Urans
RWTH Aachen. May 2009. GDCh Vortrag

Towards High-Valent Metal Nitrido & Oxo Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Technische Universität München (TUM), May 2009. Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium

The 4th Schulich Symposium: Designing New Organometallic Chemistry. Towards High-Valent Metal Nitrido & Oxo Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Israel Institute of Technology (Technion), Haifa, Israel. May 2009. Plenary Speaker

Towards High-Valent Metal Nitrido & Oxo Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Tokyo Institute of Technology. Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan. April 2009. Invited Seminar

Towards High-Valent Metal Nitrido & Oxo Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Kanazawa University. Kakuma, Kanazawa, Japan. April 2009. Invited Seminar

Towards High-Valent Metal Nitrido & Oxo Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Nagoya University. Furo, Chikusa, Nagoya, Japan. April 2009. Invited Seminar

Multi-Electron Redox-Chemistry: Where Transition Metals Reign
ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry: Symposium in Honor of Daniel G. Nocera. ACS Spring Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah (USA). March 2009. Invited Speaker

Coordination, Activation, and Functionalization of Carbon Dioxide at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Zing Coordination Chemistry Conference.   The Jolly Beach Resort, Antigua, W.I.  March 2009.  Invited Speaker

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes – Charge-Separation & Chemical Transformations
Diaconescu Group Seminar.   University of California, Los Angeles (USA).  March 2009

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes – Charge-Separation & Chemical Transformations
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (USA).   March 2009.  Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes – Charge-Separation & Chemical Transformations
University of California, Santa Barbara (USA).   March 2009.  Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes – Charge-Separation & Chemical Transformations
University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA).   March 2009.  Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes – Charge-Separation & Chemical Transformations
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena (USA).   March 2009.  Invited Seminar

Molecular & Electronic Structure of Reactive Transition Metal Complexes of a Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK. Feb. 2009. Invited Lecture

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Uranzentren: Chemie zwischen Phobie & Begeisterung
Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg. Jan. 2009. GDCh Vortrag

Uranium Coordination Chemistry: A Systematic Study of Molecular & Electronic Structure and Reactivity
Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Institut für Kernchemie. Jan. 2009. Invited Seminar

2008

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Uranzentren: Chemie zwischen Phobie & Begeisterung
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Dez. 2008. GDCh Vortrag

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Bayer Technology, Leverkusen. Nov. 2008, Invited Lecture

Carbon Dioxide Coordination, Activation, and Functionalization at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Ruperto Carola Symposium Bioenergy Conversion
Universität Heidelberg. Oct. 2008. Invited Lecture

C1 Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Edingburgh University, UK. Oct. 2008. Invited Lecture

C1 Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Manchaster University, UK. Oct. 2008. Invited Lecture

C1 Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Oxford University, UK. Oct. 2008. Invited Lecture

C1 Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
University of Sussex, UK. Oct. 2008. Invited Lecture

C1 Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
26th Poland-Germany Colloquy on Organometallic Chemistry
Bad Alexandersbad, Sept. 2008. Lecture

Structure and Reactivity of Iron Nitride Complexes
38th International Conference on Coordination Chemistry
Jerusalem, Israel. July 2008. Invited Lecture

Carbon Dioxide Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. June 2008. Invited Seminar

Carbon Dioxide Activation at Reactive Uranium Complexes
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland. June 2008. Invited Seminar

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Metallzentren: Reaktivitätssteuerung durch molekulare Architekturen
Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen. Mai 2008. GDCH Vortrag.

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Universität Bayreuth, Jan. 2008. Invited Seminar

2007

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Dec. 2007. Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
Mie University, Tsu-Mie, Japan. Nov. 2007. Invited Seminar

Tripodal Carbene Chelators for Small Molecule Activation at
Electron-Rich Iron and Cobalt Centers
Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan. Nov. 2007.
Invited Seminar

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
International Workshop on "Bioinorganic and Organometallic Perspectives
in Activation of Small Molecules"
Institute for Molecular Sciences (IMS), Okazaki, Japan. Nov. 2007. Invited Talk

Small Molecule Activation at Low-Valent Uranium Complexes Leading to
Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation
John van Geuns Lecture, Van’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences,
University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Nov. 2007. Invited Talk

Custom-Tailored Ligands for Uranium Coordination Chemistry: Exploration of Reactivity and Electronic Structure.
ACTINET Meeting, Avignon, France.  Oct. 2007, Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Heron Island Conference on Reactive Intermediates and Unusual Molecules (Heron4). Heron Islands, Queensland, Australia.  July 2007. Invited Talk

Chemie zwischen Phobie und Begeisterung: Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Komplexen des Urans.
Universität Bielefeld. GDCh-Vortrag.  June 2007

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC/CNRS) / Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France.  June 2007

Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Complexes:  From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N/O-Atom Transfer.
Universität Regensburg.  Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium.  June 2007

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Freie Universität Berlin.  Anorganisch-Chemisches Kolloquium.  June 2007

Nuclear Materials in Inorganic Chemistry: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, May 2007. Invited Seminar

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München.  Kolloquium Anorganische Chemie.  Mai 2007

Small Molecule Activation at Uranium Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
F. Albert Cotton Award Symposium.  A symposium at the 233rd National Meeting of the ACS.  Chicago, Illinois, USA. March 2007.  Invited Talk

2006

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an reaktiven Koordinationsverbindungen des Urans.
Anorganisches Kolloquium.  Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Chemischen Institute. Bonn, Germany. Nov. 2006.  Invited Talk

Small Molecule Activation at Reactive Uranium Coordination Complexes Leading to Charge-Separation and Chemical Transformation.
Workshop on the Chemistry of Actinide Molecular Clusters.  Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Transuranium Elements (ITU).  Karlsruhe, Germany.  Nov. 2006.  Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Symposium.  University of Erlangen. Germany.  Oct. 2006. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Inorganic Seminar.  University of Kanazawa. Kanazawa, Japan.  Sept. 2006. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO2 Activation, and Nitrogen-Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
13. Vortragstagung der Wöhler-Vereiningung für Anorganische Chemie. Aachen, Germany. Sept. 2006.  Invited Talk

Synthetic Chemistry at the Bottom of the Periodic Table: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Nuclear Chemistry in Context. 
A symposium at the 232nd National Meeting of the ACS.  San Francisco, California, USA. Sept. 2006. Invited Talk.  

Koordinationschemie an reaktiven Verbindungen des Urans: Eine Geschichte wie Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Antrittsvorlesung, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät II der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. Juli 2006

Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle.
Kolloquium für anorganische und analytische Chemie.  Philipps-Universität Marburg, Fachbereich Chemie.  Hamburg, Germany.  Juni 2006.  Invited Talk

Aktivierung kleiner Moleküle an elektronenreichen Übergangsmetall- und Actonoidkomplexen.
Anorganisches Kolloquium.  Universität Hamburg, Fachbereich Chemie.  Hamburg, Germany.  Juni 2006.  Invited Talk

Control of Structure & Reactivity by Ligand Design: Applications to Small Molecule Activation Chemistry.
Symposium. Karl Wieghardt's Inorganic Chemistry ACS Award. ACS Spring Meeting Atlanta, GA. March 2006.

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. UCLA. Los Angeles, CA. March 2006. Invited Talk

Looking at the Bright Side of an Element from Hell: Coordination Chemistry at Reactive Uranium Centers.
Seminar. Michigan State University. East Lansing, MI. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Complexes: From Alkane Coordination to CO2 Activation & N-Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Northwestern University. Chicago, IL. Feb. 2006. Invited Talk

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. University of Chicago. Chicago, IL. Jan. 2006. Invited Talk

2005

Uranium Complexes for Small Molecule Activation Chemistry: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Seminar. Texas A&M University. College Station, TX. Sept. 2005. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
Seminar. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Berkeley, CA. May 2005. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry with the Heaviest Element, Uranium: A Story of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.
Departmental Seminar. University of Arkansas. May 2005. Invited Talk

Alkane Coordination, CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing Low- and High-Valent Uranium Coordination Complexes.
2005 DOE-BES Separations and Heavy Element Contractor's Meeting. Rockville, MD. April 2005

SFB 583: Redox-Active Metal Complexes: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Symposium. University of Erlangen - Nuremberg, Germany. March 2005. Invited Talk

Redox-Active Transition and Actinide Metal Complexes for Small Molecule Activation: Control of Reactivity via Molecular Architecture.
Departmental Seminar. University of California, Irvine. Feb. 2005. Invited Talk

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer.
Seminar. Technical University Munich, Germany. Jan. 2005. Invited Talk

2004

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. Nov. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Universitat Jaume I, Castellon, Spain. Nov. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Organic Chemistry Seminar. University of Zuerich, Switzerland. Nov. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Seminar. Max-Planck-Institute for Bioinorganic Chemistry, Muelheim/Ruhr, Germany. Nov. 2004. Invited Talk.

Aktivierung kleiner Molekuele an elektronenreichen Uebergangsmetall- und Urankomplexen.
Group Seminar (Prof. Huttner). Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet Heidelberg, Germany. Nov. 2004. Invited Seminar.

Uebergangsmetall- und Actinoidkomplexe mit sterisch anspruchsvollen Liganden: Neue Koordinationsmodi und Aktivierung kleiner Molekuele.
Inorganic Chemistry Colloquium. Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg, Freiburg/Breisgau, Germany. Nov. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic Seminar. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Oct. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Inorganic - Electrochemistry Seminar. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. Oct. 2004. Invited Talk.

Small Molecule Activation at Transition Metal and Uranium Centers in New Trigonal Coordination Environments.
Departmental Seminar. University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Sept. 2004. Invited Talk.

Uranium Coordination Chemistry: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation & Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry.
Departmental Seminar. Georgetown University, Goergetown, Washington DC. Aug. 2004. Invited Talk.

Metal Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity.
228th ACS National Meeting. Symposium: The Use of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Catalysis (Steve Nolan). Philadelphia, PA. Aug. 2004. Invited Talk.

Nitrogen Atom Transfer Chemistry Utilizing High-Valent Uranium(V) Imido Complexes: The Imdio Functionality as a Nitrogen Source for the Synthesis of Carbodiimides.
XXIst International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry, Vancouver, Canada. July 2004. Oral Presentation.

Gordon Research Conference: Inorganic Chemistry.
Discussion Leader: Structure & Bonding. Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, July 2004.

NSF/DOE Workshop "Actinide Science for the 21st Century"
Discussion Leader: Actinide Coordination Chemistry, Washington DC, May 2004.

2003

Hot Chemistry with Depleted Uranium: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation.
Departmental Seminar. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH. Nov. 2003. Invited Talk.

Synthesis and Characterization of Tripodal Carbene Ligands and Their Metal Complexes. Insights into the Electronic Structure of Diaminocarbene Metal Complexes.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Riverside. Nov. 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Group Seminar (Prof. R.H. Holm) Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. Oct. 2003.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. Oct. 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Santa Barbara. Oct. 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Carbene and Alkane Coordination to Small Molecule Activation. Anything is Possible.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar. University of California, Berkeley. Oct. 2003. Invited Talk.

Coordination Chemistry at Highly Reactive Uranium Centers: From Alkane Coordination to CO/CO2 Activation.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar/Minority Access to Research in Chemistry (MARC). University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, Sept. 2003. Invited Talk.

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
5th International Conference on f-Element Chemistry 2003, Geneve, Switzerland, Aug. 2003. Invited Talk.

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Inorganic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference 2003, Newport, Rhode Island, July 2003. Invited Poster Award Talk. have a look @ it here

Engendering Highly Reactive Uranium Species with a Single Pocket for Reactivity: A Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Plutonium Futures 2003-The Science Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 2003. Invited Talk.

2002

Metal Complexes of Novel Tripodal N-Heterocycliuc Carbene Ligands: A Combined Synthetic, Spectroscopic, and Computational Study.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.

Uranium Tris-Aryloxide Derivatives Supported by Triazacyclononane: Engendering a Reactive Uranium(III) Center with a Single Pocket for Reactivity.
Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Westfaelische-Wilhelms-Universitaet Muenster, Germany, Dec. 2002.

Hot Chemistry in the Meyer Lab: The Wieghardt-Cummins Fusion Chemistry.
Lecture in Honor of Prof. Karl Wieghardt's 60th Birthday, Max-Planck-Institute for Radiation Chemistry, Muelheim a. d. Ruhr, Germany, July 2002.

pre 2000

Molecular and Electronic Structure of Simple High-Valent Cr, Mn, Fe, and U complexes.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Yale University, New Haven, CT, Jan. 2000.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Jan. 2000.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, Davis, CA, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, Berkeley, CA, Dec. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, Nov. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, Nov. 1999.

Group Seminar (Prof. Richard H. Holm), Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Oct. 1999.

Inorganic Chemistry Seminar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, Sept. 1999

A New Generation of High-Valent Nitrido Complexes - Synthesis, Molecular & Electronic Structure.

Royal Danish Chemical Society, Inorganic Section, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Dec. 1997

Molecular and Electronic Structure of High-Valent Nitrido-chromium and -manganese Complexes.

Inorganic Seminar, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Aug. 1997

Scientific Collaboration on Single-Crystal Absorption Spectroscopy.
Prof. Dr. H.U. Güdel, University of Bern, Switzerland, Feb. 1997