Curious Mind Award for Michelle Browne
Michelle Browne (2. f. l.) receives the Curious Mind Award. © Tamina-Florentine Zuch for manager magazin
On Thursday, 12 October 2023, Michelle Browne received a prestigious award in Hamburg: The "Curious Mind Award" in the category "Mobility, Energy and Sustainable Business" by manager magazin.
The young chemist is researching novel material systems as catalysts for green hydrogen through electrolysis. Among other achievements, Michelle Browne has designed a larger electrolysis cell that can be produced using a 3D printer. This device allows to examine many processes under more realistic conditions than with the tiny “shot-glass” cells commonly used in the laboratory. The print data is available in open access, benefiting research groups worldwide.
Michelle Browne completed her PhD at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. After postdoctoral positions in Belfast, Prague and London, she is now building up her own research group at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. For her innovative research, she was also awarded the “L’Oréal-and Unesco Women in Science – Rising talents” Award 2021. manager magazin will publish a feature and a video on Michelle Browne and her work.
- Innovative Catalyst Platform Advances Understanding of Working CatalystsA novel catalyst platform, known as Laterally Condensed Catalysts (LCC), has been developed to enable design and analysis of the functional interface connecting the active mass to its support. This interface not only influences the chemical properties of the reactive interface but also controls its stability and hence the sustainability of the catalytic materials. The development was significantly supported by the use of operando spectroscopy at the BESSY II synchrotron, which made it possible to observe and understand the dynamic processes and structures under reaction conditions.
- Catalyst Activation and Degradation in Hydrous Iridium OxidesThe development of efficient catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) is crucial for advancing Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, with iridium-based OER catalysts showing promise despite the challenges related to their dissolution. Collaborative research by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH and the Fritz-Haber-Institut has provided insights into the mechanisms of OER performance and iridium dissolution for amorphous hydrous iridium oxides, advancing the understanding of this critical process.
- Two Humboldt-Fellows join HZBIn 2024, two young scientists joined HZB as Humboldt Fellows. Kazuki Morita joined Prof. Antonio Abate's group and brings his expertise in modelling and data analysis to solar energy research. Qingping Wu is an expert in battery research and works with Prof. Yan Lu on high energy density lithium metal batteries.