The Division of Detergent Chemistry of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards – provided that the proposals are worthy of an award – one Young Scientist Award each each for an outstanding bachelor's thesis, a master's thesis and a dissertation with particular relevance to the development of detergents and cleaning agents. The prizes are worth 1,000 euros, 2,000 euros and 3,000 euros respectively and are awarded as part of the European Detergents Conference, which takes place every year in October under the umbrella of the SEPAWA CONGRESS in Berlin.
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On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on October 16, 2024 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Robin Benedix (University of Stuttgart) , Anton Michel (University of Berlin) and Dr. Marc-Kevin Zinn (Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences).
Dr. Marc-Kevin Zinn received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding dissertation entitled Protective biofilms to prevent the colonization of household water systems by harmful organisms, exemplified by the washing machine: "Dr. Zinn devoted himself to an important topic whose relevance is constantly increasing due to the pursuit of energy efficiency and energy savings - for example through the use of low-temperature washing programs. He paid particular attention to biofilms that prevent microorganisms from colonizing household washing machines. This research makes an important contribution to understanding hygiene in washing machines and sheds light on possible consequences such as undesirable odors. Dr. Zinn carried out a comprehensive analysis of the microbial community in washing machines, taking into account the contamination of used textiles. He also established a method for transferring a biofilm from a household washing machine to a laboratory model. His scientific work is of great importance and has the potential for the development of innovative solutions to improve hygiene in washing machines."
Robin Benedix received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding master's thesis entitled: CO 2 -Switchable Additive and Surfactants: "In his very detailed and systematic work on the characterization and application of the CO 2 -switchable additive N,N,N,N-tetramethyl-1,4-butanediamine and CO 2 -switchable "tail surfactants" using physico-chemical methods for determining surface tension and foam analysis, Mr. Benedix was able to show that surface properties, foam formation and foam stability can be changed by changing the additive with CO 2 as the trigger. He also found a surfactant that has promising switchable and foaming properties. This work provides valuable insights into foam control in many large-scale applications and how to avoid the use of defoamers or antifoam agents that render surfactant solutions unusable."
Anton Michel received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding bachelor's thesis entitled Investigation of the pH-Dependence of Phase Behaviour and Structure of Complexes of Amphoteric Microemulsion Droplets and Polyelectrolytes: "In his bachelor's thesis, Mr. Michel investigated the pH-dependent phase behaviour of amphoteric microemulsion droplets in mixtures with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. This topic of mixtures of surfactants with polyelectrolytes with solubilisation of oil is a fundamentally relevant topic for the field of detergents and cleaning agents, whereby the high pH dependence of the systems considered is particularly interesting. The investigation of the phase behaviour of such systems is very demanding, as it requires a high level of attention and experimental skill. This, as well as the detailed characterisation of the structures present, were carried out by Mr. Michel in a highly convincing manner."
On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on October 25, 2023 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Cara Kohler (Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld) , Jörn Philipp Optatzi (TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences) and Dr. Susanne Jacksch (Furtwangen University and Justus Liebig University Gießen).
Dr. Susanne Jacksch received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding dissertation entitled: "Investigations on the structure and function of the microbiota in household washing machines, kitchen sponges, and on laundered textiles". "With her excellent work on the hygiene of washing machines, laundry and kitchen sponges in the home, Ms. Jacksch made an important contribution to the development of sustainable, innovative detergents and hygiene products. Microbiome and metagenome analyses as well as state-of-the-art metatranscriptomics were established and applied. In addition, the basis for the application of RNA-based stable isotope sampling for washed textiles was developed. Particularly noteworthy are the quantitative data on the microbiological contamination of washing machines and the contribution to application-oriented basic knowledge."
Jörn Philipp Optatzi received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding master's thesis entitled: "Controlling the interfacial properties of surfactant mixtures using the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation concept". " In his extensive work, Mr. Optatzi succeeded in specifically adjusting the interfacial properties of different surfactant mixtures at variable salinity using the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation concept and showing that this concept can be used as a guide for formulating surfactant/oil/water systems with optimal oil removal capacity. Mr. Optatzi combined physicochemical methods such as the spinning drop and bubble pressure method with dynamic phase inversion and salinity inversion, modeled the interfacial tension using the net-average curvature model and demonstrated the applicability of the results of the hydrophilic-lipophilic deviation concept using high-throughput washing tests."
Carla Kohler received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding bachelor's thesis entitled: "Characterization of sophorolipids and study of synergism with cationic surfactants". "In her very detailed work on the properties of new glycolipid surfactants, Ms. Kohler succeeded in clarifying the phase and aggregation behavior of sophorolipids and cationic surfactants in binary and multi-component systems and in developing synergistic mixtures that are also highly relevant for practical applications. These results were achieved using a variety of analytical methods, in addition to classic surface and interfacial tension measurements with NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. "
On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on October 26, 2022 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Dr. Christoph Brudl (Graz University of Technology), Hailey Poole (University of Stuttgart) and Sophia Botsch (University of Stuttgart).
Dr. Christoph Brudl received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding dissertation entitled: "Going green and clean - Is it possible? (Development of a biodegradable high performance dishwashing detergent)". "In his very detailed work on the development of biodegradable machine dishwashing detergents, Dr. Brudl succeeded in finding a system of biodegradable complexing agents, surfactants and enzymes that is comparable in performance to conventional machine dishwashing detergents. Using the physicochemical methods SEM, Raman and IR spectroscopy as well as AFM and XPS, Dr. Brudl was able to detect residual soiling on artificial surfaces. This makes it easier to determine the correct amounts and combinations of surfactants for machine dishwashing detergent formulations."
Hailey Poole received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding master's thesis entitled: "CO 2 -Switchable Foaming Agents". "In her original work on new surfactants whose foaming behavior in aqueous solution can be switched by varying the gas flowing through them, Ms. Poole presents a new concept for the synthesis of such surfactants by moving the switchable group from the head to the tail of the surfactant, in contrast to known structures. By fundamentally characterizing the surfactant properties and the foaming behavior of three exemplary structures of an anionic, non-ionic and cationic representative, Ms. Poole proves the effectiveness of the concept and lays the foundations for further optimization of the switchability of these substance groups."
Sophia Botsch received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding bachelor's thesis entitled: "Influence of surfactant concentration on the structure of porous polystyrene synthesized from emulsion templates". "In her very detailed work on the polymerization of water-in-oil styrene emulsions with oil- or water-soluble initiators, Ms. Botsch succeeded in clarifying the mechanisms of the formation of different polymer foam structures. Ms. Botsch was able to correlate the pore shape and pore thickness of the polymer foams and the actual foam structure with the amounts of surfactant used, explain the phase behavior and at the same time refute older hypotheses on the formation of these structures."
On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on October 13, 2021 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Dr. Lars Gabriel (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) and Jan Nilles (Kao Chemicals GmbH, Emmerich, and Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld).
Dr. Lars Gabriel received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding dissertation entitled: “Functional polymers based on polysaccharides: synthesis, characterization and properties”. In his doctoral thesis, Dr. Gabriel studied multifunctional polysaccharide derivatives, which he examined in detail with regard to special properties such as graying inhibition and dirt removal effects in detergents. The findings gained deepen the knowledge of the so-called functional polymers based on renewable raw materials, especially polysaccharides and especially xylan and chitosan derivatives. The work impresses with its didactic, clear structure and its scientifically clear presentation of structure-property relationships. The relevant results have been used in several patent applications and publications.
Jan Nilles received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding master's thesis entitled: "Systematic investigation of alkoxylated alkyl ether carboxylic acids in metal cleaning". Mr. Nilles carried out a systematic investigation of alkoxylated ether carboxylic acids with a focus on the optimization of cleaning baths in metal cleaning. By establishing a set of physicochemical parameters such as cloud point, dynamic surface tension and foam behavior, the structure-effect behavior of these baths could be understood for the first time and new formulations based on ether carboxylic acids could be developed. By using these systems, the cleaning performance could be doubled, the time and temperature reduced and metal cleaning could thus be made more sustainable.
On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on 28.10.2020 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Janine Birnbach (Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld, in cooperation with Henkel), Frieda Nagler (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) and Dr. Leonhard H. Urner (Free University of Berlin).
Janine Birnbach received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding bachelor's thesis entitled: “Effect of Additives on the Phase Behavior of an Amphiphilic Block Copolymer”. Ms. Birnbach investigated the phase behavior of an amphiphilic EO-PO block copolymer as a function of various additives such as surfactants, polyols and salts using different physical-chemical methods. The didactically excellent work contributes to a better understanding of liquid-crystalline cubic phases and has application-related relevance in detergents and cleaning agents, cosmetics and pharmacy.
Frieda Nagler received the Young Scientist Award for her outstanding master's thesis entitled "Synthesis of hydrogels based on polydehydroalanine". Ms. Nagler produced novel hydrogels based on polydehydroalanine, which were reacted with bisepoxides and polyethers to form networks. She examined the resulting hydrogels with regard to their swelling behavior, mechanical properties and stability, among other things. These are highly interesting polymer systems with model character for the investigation of the reversible uptake of charged guest molecules and as a material for water treatment.
Dr. Leonhard H. Urner received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding dissertation entitled: “Oligoglycerol Detergents for Native Mass Spectrometry of Membrane Proteins”. Through the systematic investigation of the structure-activity relationship of OGD on the isolation of membrane proteins, Dr. Urner succeeded in making native mass spectrometry accessible for the structural elucidation of membrane proteins. This leads to a significant acceleration in the structural elucidation of this protein class, which is essential for the development of new drugs. The clearly and concisely written work transfers experience from cosmetics to biochemistry and is of industrial relevance.
On the occasion of the European Detergents Conference on October 23, 2019 in Berlin, the Division of Detergent Chemistry awarded prizes in the field of basic research on detergents and cleaning agents to Dr. Martin J. Thiele (RWTH Aachen University) and Friederike Dehli (University of Stuttgart).
Dr. Martin J. Thiele received the Young Scientist Award for his outstanding dissertation entitled: "Boosting the performance of a protease with polymers and surfactants". In his doctoral thesis, Mr. Thiele studied the molecular interactions of proteases with surfactants and polymers commonly used in detergents. He subsequently used the knowledge gained on the importance of calcium ions in the formation of supramolecular complexes as reactors to specifically improve the performance of these enzymes. The work impresses with its methodological breadth at the highest scientific level and its clear representation of complex systems. The results obtained are of high relevance for the industrial development of sustainable, efficient detergents and cleaning agents. The work has been exploited in patents and is published in scientific journals.
Friederike Dehli's outstanding master's thesis "Generation and characterization of gelatin-based hydrogel foams with defined pore sizes" was also awarded a Young Scientist Award . Ms. Dehli worked on the production and characterization of monodisperse solid foams with porosities in the range of several hundred micrometers. With the help of microfluidics, hydrogel foams based on cross-linked modified gelatin were produced and investigated in several steps. The results obtained are of great interest for the cultivation of artificial tissue in biomedicine with broad application potential. The work was published in the journal Biomacromolecules.
| Year | name | Excellent work | affiliation at the time of award |
| 2024 | Anton Michel | bachelor's thesis | University of Berlin |
| 2024 | Robin Benedix | master's thesis | University of Stuttgart |
| 2024 | Dr. Marc-Kevin Zinn | dissertation | Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences |
| 2023 | Cara Kohler | bachelor's thesis | Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld |
| 2023 | Jörn Philipp Optatzi | master's thesis | TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences |
| 2023 | Dr. Susanne Jaksch | dissertation | Furtwangen University and Justus Liebig University Gießen |
| 2022 | Sophia Botsch | bachelor's thesis | University of Stuttgart |
| 2022 | Dr. Christoph Brudl | dissertation | Graz University of Technology |
| 2022 | Hailey Poole | master's thesis | University of Stuttgart |
| 2021 | Jan Nilles | master's thesis | Kao Chemicals GmbH, Emmerich, and Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld |
| 2021 | Dr. Lars Gabriel | dissertation | Friedrich Schiller University Jena |
| 2020 | Janine Birnbach | bachelor's thesis | Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf, and Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Krefeld |
| 2020 | Frieda Nagler | master's thesis | Friedrich Schiller University Jena |
| 2020 | Dr. Leonhard H. Urner | dissertation | Free University of Berlin |
| 2019 | Friederike Dehli | master's thesis | University of Stuttgart |
| 2019 | Dr. Martin Thiele | dissertation | RWTH Aachen University |
| 2018 | Marc-Kevin Zinn | bachelor's thesis | Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences |
| 2018 | Timo Bollmann | master's thesis | TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences |
| 2018 | Dr. Thiemo Faßbach | dissertation | Technical University of Dortmund |
| 2017 | Dr. Viet Hildebrand | dissertation | University of Potsdam |
| 2016 | Dr. Leonardo Chiappisi | dissertation | Technical University of Berlin |
| 2016 | Dr. Anne Waidelich | dissertation | University of Stuttgart |
| 2015 | Dr. Helge Klemmer | dissertation | University of Cologne |
| 2014 | Dr. Michaela Lampenheimer | dissertation | University of Stuttgart |
| 2013 | Dr. Julia Boos | dissertation | University of Stuttgart |
| 2012 | Dr. Daniel Zehn | dissertation | |
| 2011 | Dr. Ingo Hofmann | dissertation | University of Berlin |
| 2010 | Dr. Gabriela Catanoju | dissertation | University of Stuttgart |
| 2009 | Dr. Katja Skrabania | dissertation | University of Berlin |
| 2007 | Dr. Sandra Engelskirchen | dissertation | University of Cologne |
| 2006 | Dr.-Ing. Claudio Cinquemani | dissertation | University of Düsseldorf |
| 2004 | Dr. Tobias Fütterer | dissertation | |
| 2003 | Dr. Britta Jacobs | dissertation | |
| 1999 | Dr. Thomas Sottmann | dissertation | University of Cologne |
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last modified: 03.04.2025 15:59 H from Translator
