All important information can be found in the area of Studies and Teaching. [1]

Chemistry at TUB - Welcome

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© Prof. K. Rück-Braun

Chemistry is one of the fundamental natural sciences. Chemists are concerned with understanding and changing the material world. To this end, they study the structure, properties and reactions of substances.

The Institute of Chemistry at TU Berlin makes significant contributions to catalysis as well as biological and biophysical chemistry, modern molecular and synthetic chemistry, solid-state chemistry and analysis, electrochemistry and energy storage, and materials sciences. Additional focal points are both theoretical chemistry and chemical engineering.

Catalysis research at the institute ranges from homogeneous to heterogeneous to biocatalysis and is centrally represented in several research networks. Of particular importance is the cluster of excellence "Unifying Systems in Catalysis" (UniSysCat [3]), for which the TU Berlin is the host university. The understanding and control of networks and cascades of (bio)chemically catalysed reactions is of central interest to the scientists from a wide range of fields within chemistry.

As part of the previous cluster of excellence "Unifying Concepts in Catalysis" (UniCat [4]), the joint research laboratory BasCat [5] was founded in cooperation with BASF SE, which is dedicated to researching heterogeneous catalysis reactions.

In the graduate programme of the "Einstein Center of Catalysis" (EC2/BIG-NSE [6]) at the Institute of Chemistry, PhD students are supported in their interdisciplinary projects in the field of catalysis. Peptides, on the other hand, are the focus of the research training group "Bioactive Peptides - Innovative Aspects of Synthesis and Biosynthesis" (SynPepBio [7]). Their isolation and/or production, their structures and their mechanisms of action are being jointly investigated by a team of 11 working groups from different subjects. The TU Berlin acts as the host university.

In addition, the development of sustainable and resource-saving processes is, on the one hand, the basic motivation for most of the catalysis research at the institute and, on the other hand, the goal of the studies regarding the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy, e.g. within the framework of fuel cell and battery research, which is carried out by several groups at the institute.

With the "Chemical Invention Factory - John Warner Center for start-ups in Green Chemistry" (CIF [8]), the topic of sustainability is linked to the so-called third career path, i.e. founders with a connection to green chemistry are supported here, e.g. with laboratory space and through mentorship.

The Institute of Chemistry at TU Berlin was also the first European institution to sign the Green Chemistry Commitment [9] of the international organization Beyond Benign. The AG Green Chemistry, founded by the student initiative [10] of the Institute of Chemistry, is committed, among other things, to bringing the topic of sustainability into the students' focus and developing concepts for courses in this area together with the lecturers.

Further details on the main research areas of the Institute of Chemistry can be found on the webpages of the respective groups, which can be accessed under the menu point About us/Groups [11].