Infos für
Direkt zu
Fakultäten
News
––– 29.06.2026
Welcome Prof. Anna Krylov!
We are delighted to welcome Prof. Anna Krylov (University of Southern California, USA) as a Mercator Fellow of our Research Training Group. Prof. Krylov is an internationally renowned theoretical chemist whose pioneering contributions to electronic structure theory and computational quantum chemistry have had a significant impact on the field.
Her stay will create valuable opportunities for scientific exchange and discussion, and our doctoral researchers will particularly benefit from the chance to engage with her during a dedicated workshop for RTG scholars.
––– 02.06.2026
New article by Jaeshin Kim
Congratulations to Jaeshin Kim from the Gallei group on the publication of his study on β‑cyclodextrin‑functionalized core–shell polymer particles and their assembly into structurally colored films. The work spans the full journey from controlled nanosphere synthesis and molecular‑level characterization to detailed analysis of particle arrangement and interfacial behavior on various substrates.
The resulting films show vivid structural colors, can be processed through versatile printing techniques, and form stable, well‑bound layers thanks to cyclodextrin‑based interactions. This research provides valuable insights into the design of customizable photonic materials and lays important groundwork for future sensing and surface‑interaction technologies.
––– 05.02.2026
First pentasilacyclopentadienide reported by Ankur!
Congratulations to Ankur from the Scheschkewitz group on his fantastic work on the stable all-silicon analog of the iconic cyclopentadienide published today in Science. After almost half a century of pursuit by chemists worldwide, silicon aromaticity takes a big leap forward. According to experimental and computational evidence, the five-membered ring of the pentasilacyclopentadienide walks the edge between resonance and equilibrium. Kudos to those undergraduate students who always “claimed” that both are the same.
In a mind-boggling twist of fate, the group of Takeaki Iwamoto (Sendai, Japan) obtained precisely the same compound as we at Saarland University, only by a different route, now published in the same issue as our results.
––– 04.02.2026
Congratulations to Dr. Anna-Lena Thömmes
Dr. Anna-Lena Thömmes (member of cohort zero of Ec=m2, now Université de Toulouse) has been elected chair of the Junge Wöhler Vereinigung Anorganische Chemie Board 2026!
Congratulations to Anna and all newly appointed board members!
––– 10.12.2025
Booster for Ec=m²
We congratulate the Munz group for a Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council. From rags to riches – Carb2Mol will engineer weak bonds with carbon for future technology!
––– 03.11.2025
Kick-off Meeting
Ec=m² launched on November 3rd with a lively kick-off event featuring expert talks, scholar presentations, and collaborative energy to kickstart its mission in engineering convalent bonds.
––– 28.10.2025
Excellent Start!
Our Ec=m2 scholar Simon Muhm (Munz group) secures the prestigious Kekulé-fellowship by the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie im Verband der Chemischen Industrie e.V., even prior to our Kick-off Meeting. Our heartiest congratulations and (continuing) good luck with these radicals!
––– 15.10.2025
Farewell to Dr. Anna-Lena Thömmes and Dr. Philipp Grewelinger
We warmly congratulate Anna-Lena Thömmes and Philipp Grewelinger (members of the inofficial cohort zero of Ec=m2) on successfully completing their doctoral theses and would like to express our sincere appreciation for their outstanding contributions to the Scheschkewitz group.
We are pleased to see them continuing their professional journey at Paul Sabatier Université Toulouse III (Bourissou group) and the University of California, San Diego (Bertrand group).
We wish them continued success and best of luck in the future. Don’t be strangers!
––– 01.10.2025
Welcome Dr. Suman Das, Postdoctoral Research Assistant for Ec=m²
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Suman Das to the Ec=m² team as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering, with specialization in sustainable wastewater treatment, membrane technology, and advanced catalytic materials. With over eight years of research experience, he brings valuable expertise and a strong commitment to advancing innovative solutions for environmental remediation and clean technologies.
––– 01.10.2025
Welcome Ec=m² Scholars of Cohort 1
The Steering Committee including the Scientific Coordinator, Dr. Nadine Meyer, and all PIs extend a warm welcome to the incoming Scholars of Cohort 1. We look forward to working with you!
––– 01.10.2025
Welcome Dr. Nadine Meyer, Scientific Coordinator of Ec=m²
We are very happy to have secured the services of Dr. Nadine Meyer as Scientific Coordinator of Ec=m2. Nadine obtained her PhD at the University of Wuppertal and subsequently did a postdoc at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein (South Africa). During the last years, she was affiliated with the Fresenius University of Applied Science in Idstein.
––– 16.09.2025
Guest speakers confirmed for Ec=m² kick-off
Profs. Simon Aldridge and Meera Mehta (both Oxford) will be our guests during the Ec=m2 Kick-off event. Besides scientific lectures they will also present the new Centre for Doctoral Training IMAT at Oxford University, which shares specific goals of Ec=m2.
––– 01.09.2025
Kick-off meeting and celebration of Ec=m²
Our kick-off meeting including a celebratory “Schwenken” (Saarland-style barbecue with swivel grill) will take place on Monday, the 3rd November 2025 in the Scheer Graduate Center at Saarland University. We anticipate that our first cohort of ten Ec=m2 Scholars will be complete and settled in by then.
––– 14.04.2025
We are hiring: PhD students
Ec=m2 will hire ten Scholars in pursuit of a PhD degree in Chemistry, Materials Sciences or Physics with a passion for the manipulation, characterization and modelling of chemical bonds.
Submit your application by the 31st May 2025!
Details to be found here.
––– 14.04.2025
We are hiring: Postdoc on Surface Characterization
Ec=m2 is looking for Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Surface Characterization to start on the 1st October 2025. Do you hold a PhD in Natural Sciences or Engineering (in chemistry, physic, materials sciences, etc.) and have prior experience in surface characterization, preferably using atomic force microscopy (AFM)? Do you want to establish an independent scientific career in this field?
Submit your application by the 31st May 2025!
Details to be found here.
––– 14.04.2025
We are hiring: Scientific Coordinator
Ec=m2 is looking for a Full-Time Scientific Coordinator to start on the 1st October 2025. Do you hold a PhD in Natural Sciences or Engineering (in chemistry, physic, materials sciences, etc.)? Are you excited about the idea of coordinating a major coordinated research program at Saarland University for the next five years (and possibly beyond)?
Submit your application by the 31st May 2025!
Details to be found here.
––– 05.03.2025
Advisory Board of Ec=m² complete
Three researchers of the highest caliber have agreed to join the Advisory Board of Ec=m2: Professors Viktoria Gessner from RUB Bochum, Christoph Janiak from HHU Düsseldorf and Martin Kaupp from TU Berlin. We are delighted to have you on board and excited to receive your valuable feedback on our research and teaching strategies.
––– 15.11.2024
Ec=m² retained for funding
We are going to be funded!
Today, the RTG selection commission of the German Research Foundation (DFG) decided to support Ec=m2. We cannot wait to get started!
DFG press release
––– 02.09.2024
On-site evaluation of Ec=m²
The DFG reviewer panel visited Saarland University. Good vibes and lively discussion during presentation and poster session. Two and half months until funding decision. In the meantime, no idle finger crossing, but preparing for a positive funding decision.