Prof. Dr. Sebastian Fiechter

born: 03.02.1954 (Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg)
Current position at HZB: emeritus, guest and ombudsman at HZB

Work topics

  • Development of new materials for light-induced water splitting (chalcogenides, transition metal dichalcogenides)
  • Development of electrocatalysts for water splitting
  • Structure-functionality correlation in electrocatalysis
  • Electrode development for solar hydrogen production
  • Absorbers for thin-film solar cells
  • Thermodynamic modeling in multiphase systems
  • Investigation of phase diagrams and synthesis steps as well as
  • Material stability by means of DTA, DSC and TG-MS 

Professional career

since January 2020: emeritus, Ombudsman at HZB

from August to December 2019: senior scientist at the Institute for Solar Fuels (CE-IF)

July 2012 - July 2019:
Deputy Head of the Institute "Solar Fuels" (CE-IF)
of the Solar Energy Research Division of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB)

since October 2008    
Acting Institute Director "Solar Fuels and Energy Storage Systems" (E-I6)
of the Solar Energy Research Division of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie

2003 - 2008        
Deputy Head of the Department "Solar Energetics
of the Solar Energy Research Division of the Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin

2004           
Habilitation at the TU - Berlin at Faculty VI;
venia legendi in applied mineralogy and crystallography


1983-2008       
Research associate in the "Solar Energetics" department of the Hahn-Meitner-Institut
(headed until Sept. 2008 by Prof. Dr. Helmut Tributsch); head of the materials laboratory
1982 - 1983        
University assistant at the University of Freiburg i. Br.
1979 - 1982        
Doctorate at the Crystallographic Institute of the Albrecht-Ludwigs-University Freiburg i. Br.
1973- 1978       
Studies of mineralogy / crystallography at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg im Breisgau

Doctoral thesis / Freiburg i. Br. 1982

Crystal growth of ion-conducting argyrodites of the type
type Cu6PS5Hal (Hal = Cl, Br, I)