Prof. Dr. Matthias Bauer
Paderborn University
“New and old X-ray spectroscopy to understand molecular catalysts in confinements”
X-ray spectroscopy in form of classical X-ray absorption (XAS), but also the more recent photon-in/photon-out techniques X-ray emission (XES) and high energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (HERFD-XANES) offer a unique toolbox to investigate and understand molecular catalysts bot in solution and confinement. By combination of the available methods, both the geometric and electronic structure of complexes can be investigated. With respect to complexes in confinement, many aspects can be probed in an element specific manner: The integrity of complexes after immobilization can be probed as well as structural distortions or interactions with the pore walls. More advanced is the investigation of degradation products and the formation of reactive species such as hydrides. The techniques and their potentials will be presented together with examples from the CRC and related fields.
Matthias Bauer, Chair for Inorganic Chemistry and founding director of the Center for Sustainable Systems Design (CSSD) at Paderborn University, obtained his PhD at the University of Stuttgart. After an appointment as assistant professor at the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, he moved to Paderborn University, where he was promoted to full professor in 2017. His research connects transition metal chemistry for sustainable processes with advanced X-ray methods at synchrotrons and free electron lasers.
