Press releases 2019

Recognition for research in Europe

Research will become the eponymous component of the future portfolio of EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel. Many European scientists had campaigned for this.


JOINT PRESS RELEASE

of the mathematical and scientific specialist societies
http://www.wissenschaft-verbindet.de

Umbrella Association of Geosciences (DVGeo): www.dvgeo.org
German Mathematicians Association (DMV): www.mathematik.de
German Physical Society (DPG): www.dpg-physik.de
German Chemical Society (GDCh): www.gdch.de
Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO): www.vbio.de

Bad Honnef, November 29, 2019

In her speech to the European Parliament to present her program and the EU Commissioners on November 27, 2019, the elected EU President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the future portfolio of Bulgarian Mariya Gabriel would be ?Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and youth "is renamed.

The original plan was to call the department's name ?Innovation and Youth? in a very shortened form. There was vehement resistance to this in the scientific community. The German mathematical and natural science societies, the umbrella association of geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematicians Association (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO), Ursula von der Leyen and other high-ranking EU managers wrote to the Commissioners even before the hearing to insist that the term ?research? be explicitly mentioned in the name of the department. The one-sided focus on the term innovation would have overemphasized the economic usability of research and discredited basic research. Above all, the deletion of the supposedly dispensable term ?research? would have sent a fatal signal to the public - especially to the young people who hold science in high regard.

Similar demands were made in an open letter that was signed by over 13,000 scientists from all over Europe, including 19 Nobel Prize winners, within a very short time.

The arguments from science have apparently convinced. In addition to research, the important policy areas of education and culture are now also mentioned in the title of the new Commissioner Mariya Gabriel's portfolio.

The German mathematical and scientific societies are very satisfied that the political leaders in the EU have taken up the subject-matter discussion and have taken action.

About Ursula von der Leyen's speech

To the letter from the professional associations to the designated EU President Ursula von der Leyen

To the open letter

The five professional societies together represent over 130,000 members. They are linked by the awareness that those who work in science are responsible to a particularly high degree for shaping the entire human life. They oblige their members to stand up for freedom, tolerance, truthfulness and dignity in science. You are convinced that scientific knowledge is a prerequisite for meeting the challenges of the future. Facts must form the basis for political and social debates. This requires a free scientific discourse led with rational arguments.

33 Award for climate expert Reinhard Zellner

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November 26, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) will award Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Reinhard Zellner with the Carl Duisberg plaque for his outstanding services to the GDCh. The award will take place as part of a special colloquium entitled "Mobility revolution for climate protection: battery or fuel cell - or is it diesel?" in Frankfurt am Main.

The plaque is awarded by the GDCh board to chemists who have made special contributions to promoting chemistry and the goals of the GDCh. Reinhard Zellner receives the award, among other things, for his great commitment to the GDCh advisory committee for existing substances (BUA) and his multiple contributions to climate research and Atmospheric Chemistry. In addition, his many years of activity as chairman of the joint committees ?Chemistry, Air Quality and Climate? and ?Fine Dusts? are recognized.

Until his retirement in 2018, Zellner was professor of physical chemistry with a focus on Atmospheric Chemistry chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen. He was a member of the German Bundestag's study commissions ?Protection of the Earth's Atmosphere? and ?Protection of Man and the Environment?, coordinated the German ozone research program and was chairman of the Federal Research Ministry's expert group ?Global Environmental Aspects?. Until 2018 he was also responsible for the ?Chemistry, Air Quality and Climate? and ?Fine Dust? working committees. In the committees, experts from the GDCh and other organizations work together to collect and evaluate the current state of research and to identify further research needs.

On the occasion of the award, the special colloquium ?Mobility revolution for climate protection: battery or fuel cell - or is it diesel?? Will take place on December 4th from 1 pm to 5:30 pm in the DECHEMA-Haus, Frankfurt am Main. Following the award ceremony, experts from industry and science will discuss how to solve the challenge of doing without fossil fuels while remaining mobile. The event was prepared by the ?Chemistry, Air Quality and Climate? and ?Fine Dust? working committees. Participation is free of charge. All interested parties are cordially invited.

Further information at https://dechema.de/Kolloquium_Diesel_2019.html

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It awards numerous internationally renowned prizes. The Carl Duisberg plaque has been awarded since 1953 to scientists who have made special contributions to promoting chemistry and the goals of the GDCh. The gold plaque is intended to keep alive the memory of one of the most important industrial chemists, who played a key role in setting up the Leverkusen plant, but who, despite his many industrial obligations, did a great job of promoting general issues in chemistry. Carl Duisberg died in 1935.

32 Julian Vogel receives the 2019 Business Chemistry Study Prize from the Association for Chemistry and Economics

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19th November 2019

The Association for Chemistry and Economics (VCW), a division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), awards the study prize for business chemistry endowed with 1000 euros this year to Julian Vogel, a graduate of the master's degree in business chemistry at Ulm University. The award recognizes the excellent performance of the award winner as well as his interdisciplinary commitment during his studies.

Julian Vogel completed his studies in business chemistry at the University of Ulm in March of this year with a grade of 1.1. He passed his master's thesis on ?Towards the Synthesis of a Novel ?-Curved Electron Donor Nanohoop?, funded by the Industrial Research Foundation, with distinction. Motivated by publications from recent years that show that strong curvature leads to various advantageous properties such as the solubility of organic semiconductor materials in solar cells or transistors, Julian Vogel dealt with the synthesis of a novel molecular ring in his thesis. With his results he provided the basis for an international publication and possibly also for advances in organic photovoltaics.
In addition to his studies, Julian Vogel founded the Ulm branch of young business chemists (JuWiChem) in 2016, of which he has been chairman since then. He is also the Deputy Chairman of the JuWiChem Federal Board (11/2017 - 12/2019) and supports various projects such as the JuWiChem Day and the VCW Stammtisch in the organization. During his studies, Vogel already got an insight into the practice of solar cell production at MANZ CIGS Technologie GmbH, today NICE Solar Energy GmbH. Since the summer of this year, the award winner has been doing his doctorate at the Institute for Organic Chemistry and New Materials at Ulm University.

The VCW Business Chemistry Study Prize is announced annually in German-speaking countries and honors excellent academic achievements in the field of business chemistry. The aim of the award is to sharpen the profile of the subject within the natural science faculty. In particular, the subject of business chemistry and the award-winning graduates are to be made more visible in the industrial environment, in order to point out the attractiveness of the course for students.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Association for Chemistry and Economics (VCW). The VCW has set itself the goal of combining natural sciences, especially chemistry, and economics.

Images for download:

Julian Vogel erhält den Studienpreis Wirtschaftschemie 2019 der GDCh-Fachgruppe Vereinigung für Chemie und Wirtschaft. Foto: privat

31 Sustainable 3D printing thanks to plastic made from cellulose

Meyer Galow Prize for Business Chemistry 2019 goes to Roland Bayer

31/19
7th November 2019

Dr. Roland Bayer, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, receives the Meyer Galow Prize for Business Chemistry on November 20. The award from the foundation of the same name, which is part of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), is endowed with 10,000 euros. It is awarded for the market launch of an innovation in chemistry, which has particular value for society, especially under the aspect of sustainability. Roland Bayer and his team have developed and successfully launched a new type of plastic that serves as a water-soluble support material for 3D printing and can then be completely reused. The award ceremony takes place during a ceremony at the DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences site in the Walsrode industrial park in Bomlitz and is presented by Dr. Matthias Urmann, President of the GDCh.

Whether for prostheses or the construction of aircraft parts - 3D printing is now ubiquitous in various industries. It can be used to model complex structures by melting a plastic thread in a heated nozzle and applying the melted droplets layer by layer. This process is based on the common methods ?Fused Deposition Modeling? (FDM) or ?Fused Filament Fabrication? (FFF). When printing hollow structures and overhanging structures, support materials are used that have to be removed from the finished object later. Dr. Roland Bayer, Head of Application Development at DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences in Bomlitz, and his team have developed a plastic as a support material that is based on thermoplastic hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and can be reprocessed into support material after 3D printing and recycling. The HPMC is obtained from the renewable raw material cellulose and is used to produce flexible plastic filaments that can be printed as support material at temperatures between 180 ° C and 250 ° C. This is used when 3D printing a desired shape. Then simple, cold tap water removes the HPMC-based material from the finished object and the HPMC flocculates when the washing water is heated. The raw material is filtered, dried and can be re-extruded into filaments. These are printed again as support material, which can be used several times according to the same principle, saving resources without losing quality (cradle-to-cradle concept). Compared to previous support materials, the newly developed material dissolves 25 to 60 times faster in water and can be completely recycled without the use of chemicals.

The award ceremony will take place during a ceremony on November 20, 2019 at 11 a.m. in the Villa Wolff guest house in Bomlitz. GDCh President Dr. Matthias Urmann will present the award to Dr. Roland Bayer who will briefly present the award-winning project. Following the ceremony, DuPont invites you to take a tour of the Walsrode industrial park.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 31,000 members. It has 27 specialist groups as well as 60 local associations and regional young chemists forums. The GDCh promotes scientific work as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific findings. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Meyer Galow Foundation for Business Chemistry, which Professor Dr. Erhard Meyer-Galow in 2012 to further promote business chemistry. Further information at www.gdch.de

DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader in technology-based materials,
Ingredients and solutions that change industry and everyday life. Our employees apply a wide range of scientific and technical skills to help customers implement their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets such as electronics, transportation, construction, construction, health, wellness, food and occupational safety. More information at www.dupont.com

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences uses in-depth expertise to develop market-driven, healthy and sustainable solutions for the food, beverage, nutritional supplement and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, we use cutting edge Biotechnology in a number of markets to develop bio-based solutions to meet the needs of a growing population while protecting our environment for future generations. We are innovative solution providers who help our customers to turn challenges into valuable business opportunities. More information at www.dupontnutritionandhealth.com or www.biosciences.dupont.com

Images for download:

Roland Bayer erhält den Meyer-Galow-Preis für Wirtschaftschemie 2019.

30 Get started with digital advanced training courses

GDCh advanced training program 2020 now also with e-learning courses

30/19
October 31, 2019

The newly published 2020 advanced training program of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) offers many opportunities to develop professionally, professionally and personally. The offer has been expanded by ten new courses and will consist of around 90 courses from 13 disciplines in the coming year. In addition to classic chemistry topics such as analytical chemistry or modern methods and processes, those interested in further training can take e-learning courses for the first time.

Those interested can learn flexibly and autodidactically in the newly offered online courses. In four already tried and tested courses ("NMR spectra analysis", "Planning, developing and successfully approving medical devices in accordance with the law", "Regulatory Affairs" and "Introduction to Business Administration for Chemists"), participants receive the course documents online for self-study. Intermediate exams help them to repeat and deepen the content they have learned. In a live webinar with the course management, questions can be asked and unclear points clarified. In addition, the participants have the opportunity to exchange ideas with one another and with the course management on the learning platform. A final final exam queries all course content. Those who pass this test receive the relevant certificate.

Classical chemistry topics are also represented in the 2020 advanced training program, such as courses from the fields of analytical chemistry, Food Chemistry and synthesis methods, as well as courses on modern methods and processes or from the thematic field of "chemistry and economics". One of the new additions is the advanced training course ?Legally regulated environmental analysis - what is really important??. Laboratory managers, quality management staff and expert assessors from accredited and notified laboratories as well as representatives of authorities receive an overview of the requirements of standards and guidelines. In addition, the course deals with cross-border round robin tests as well as the implementation of legal regulations in environmental laboratories and highlights current topics such as environmental pollutants.

Fires, explosions, spills of material and accidents can have a serious impact on the production capability of companies and permanently damage people, the environment and fixed assets. Correct behavior in such emergencies is part of the new course ?Emergency and Crisis Management in the Chemical Industry?. It is aimed at managing directors, executives and employees from various institutions such as laboratories and units such as fire protection and occupational safety. The event teaches the participants how they can prepare themselves and their company well for crisis situations and how to respond to emergency situations that may arise in order to take the right measures within the shortest possible time. In a realistic simulation exercise in real time, the participants should apply the theoretical principles directly and consolidate what they have learned.

The proven GDCh specialist programs ?Certified Business Chemist (GDCh) ®? and ?Certified Quality Expert GxP? as well as the advanced program ?Certified Quality Expert GxP Plus? will also be offered in 2020.

Detailed information and the program for download can be found at www.gdch.de/fortbildung

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports training in schools and universities as well as continuous training for work and Career.

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29 Scholarship for chemistry students: 300 euros per month

Hofmann Scholarships 2020 are advertised

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October 29, 2019

The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation set up by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will also be awarding scholarships to support students for the 2020 summer semester. Bachelor students in chemistry and related areas can receive a scholarship of 300 euros per month from April 2020 with a duration of 18 or 12 months. Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2020 to the respective GDCh local association chairperson or the spokesperson for the regional forums of the JungChemikerForum (JCF).

Bachelor students in chemistry and related fields with very good academic achievements who are in an economically unfavorable situation can apply for one of the approximately 20 scholarships of the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation. Another requirement is that the students are in the third to last or penultimate semester of their bachelor's degree at the beginning of the summer semester 2019.

The scholarship cannot be extended. Every year in the winter semester there is a new application cycle. The scholarship is not counted towards BAföG benefits, but double funding in addition to other performance-based material funding from the gifted funding agencies is excluded.

The August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation is named after the first president of the GDCh predecessor organization, the German Chemical Society, founded in 1867. The founder is someone who died in 2010; Long-standing GDCh member who bequeathed most of his fortune to the GDCh in order to promote talented chemistry students.

Further information at www.gdch.de/hofmannstiftung

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 31,000 members. The GDCh manages numerous dependent foundations on a fiduciary basis. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorship awards and grants. In addition to the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Foundation, the Karl Ziegler Foundation deserves a special mention. With the Karl Ziegler Prize, the GDCh award, which is worth 50,000 euros, is awarded for outstanding scientific achievements in chemistry. Also worth mentioning are the Paul Bunge Prize awarded by the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation, as well as the awards from the Hermann Schnell, Hellmut Bredereck, Georg Manecke, Klaus Grohe and Meyer Galow Foundation . Foundation advisory boards decide on the award of prizes, awards and grants.

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28 The old chemical laboratory in Göttingen becomes "Historic Site of Chemistry"

Science historian Christoph Meinel receives the Carl Duisberg plaque as part of the ceremony

28/19
October 8, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) includes the old chemical laboratory of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in its program "Historic Sites of Chemistry". With the program, the GDCh reminds of the workplaces of important scientists and wants to keep the memory of the cultural heritage of chemistry alive. The associated memorial plaque will be attached as part of a two-day festive event on October 17 and 18, 2019, which will illuminate historical and modern aspects of chemical research in Göttingen. On October 17th, Professor Dr. Christoph Meinel, University of Regensburg, was awarded the Carl Duisberg plaque from the GDCh.

With the Old Chemical Laboratory, a building will be included in the program for the first time that is not only linked to the achievements of a particular researcher, but also to several generations of outstanding scientists. The building in Hospitalstrasse was erected in 1783 as a chemical laboratory and home for the then director of the institute, Johann Friedrich Gmelin. It is the first building of the university that was built independently for a natural science subject and at the same time one of the first modern university laboratories still in existence in Germany.

In the course of time, the laboratory initially had the function of promoting mining science and providing space for experiments and demonstrations. Shortly afterwards it was used as the first building by a German university to teach analytical chemistry in an internship. The laboratory was soon recognized as a world-class training facility. Later the building was only partially used for chemical research and teaching, but served as the residence of the institute directors until the 20th century and thus formed the symbolic center of the Göttingen ?chemistry quarter?. The names of numerous well-known chemists such as Johann Friedrich Gmelin (1775?1804), Friedrich Stromeyer (1776?1835), Friedrich Wöhler (1800?1882), Hans Hübner (1837?1884), Victor Meyer (1848?1897) and Otto Wallach ( 1847?1931) are connected to the building.

On October 17th, the building will be officially included in the ?Historic Chemistry Sites? program and the plaque will be unveiled. As part of the celebrations, Professor Dr. Christoph Meinel, University of Regensburg, awarded the Carl Duisberg plaque from the GDCh. The plaque is awarded by the GDCh board to chemists who have made special contributions to promoting chemistry and the goals of the GDCh. Through his historical work, Meinel played a key role in clarifying the conditions and consequences of scientific change. He promoted the global networking of the history of chemistry and made a significant contribution to the dialogue between science and society.

A symposium will follow on October 18, in which modern aspects of chemical research in Göttingen will be highlighted.

Further information on the Internet at www.gdch.de/historischestaetten

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with around 31,000 members. With the "Historic Sites of Chemistry" program, memories of the cultural heritage of chemistry are kept alive and chemistry and its historical roots are brought more into the public eye. An essential criterion for the selection of a historical site is that the discoveries connected with it are of great importance for people and society.

Images for download:

Das Alte Chemische Laboratorium (Bild: Universität Göttingen/Christoph Mischke)

27 German Chemical Society: Peter R. Schreiner becomes new President

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September 24, 2019

In its constituent meeting on September 16, 2019 in Aachen, the new board of directors of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) appointed Professor Dr. Peter R. Schreiner, PhD, Justus Liebig University Giessen, elected future President of the German Chemical Society . He will take up his post on January 1, 2020, succeeding Dr. Matthias Urmann, Sanofi-Aventis Germany GmbH. From this point on, the deputy presidents will be Professor Dr. Stefanie Dehnen, Philipps University of Marburg, and Dr. Carla Seidel, BASF SE. Dr. Timo Fleßner, Bayer AG, elected.

Peter R. Schreiner was born in Nuremberg in 1965. After studying chemistry at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and the University of Georgia, Athens (USA), he received his doctorate in organic chemistry in Erlangen and in theoretical chemistry in Athens in 1994. He completed his habilitation in 1999 in Göttingen. Schreiner has been Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen since 2002. He conducts research in the field of organocatalysis, nanodiamonds and quantum mechanical tunneling to develop and improve sustainable chemical methods. Schreiner has received numerous prizes and awards for his work, including recently the Royal Society of Chemistry Physical Organic Chemistry Award (2019), the Adolf von Baeyer Medal of the GDCh (2017), and a JSPS Fellowship, Japan (2018). He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina and editor of scientific journals.

Schreiner joined the GDCh as a student. He is active in the Liebig Association for Organic Chemistry and the ADUC (Working Group of German University Professors for Chemistry). In 2011-2013 he served as chairman of the ADUC . Schreiner used his expertise in the field of information and communication technology for the GDCh as early as the early 2000s. In addition, from 2013 to 2018 he was a member of the GDCh working group CHE Ranking.

During his tenure as GDCh President, Schreiner would like to fill the abstract concept of digitization with life for chemistry as well: ?The GDCh must actively help shape the related changes in content and organization. The provision of quality-assured, public research data also improves the data quality of publications. We are currently experiencing significant changes in the publication system in the area of "open access" and "preprints". Here I can profitably use my many years of experience as a publisher. ?Schreiner would also like to advance the topics of equal opportunities, promotion of young talent, internationalization and cooperation between universities, non-university institutions and industry, and counter overregulation in research and teaching, which are already anchored in the GDCh.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international cooperation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 specialist groups and 60 local branches.

Prof. Dr. Peter R. Schreiner (Foto: F. Möller)
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen
Dr. Carla Seidel (Foto: BASF SE)
Dr. Timo Fleßner

26 awards for food chemists

Festive meeting at the 48th German Food Chemists' Day

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17th September 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) today appointed Professor Dr. Lothar W. Kroh, Technical University of Berlin, was awarded the Joseph König commemorative coin at the 48th German Food Chemists Day at the Technical University of Dresden. The Food Chemistry Society - organizer of the conference and largest division in the GDCh - also awarded the Werner Baltes Prize of the Young Scientist to Dr. Michael Hellwig, Technical University of Dresden. In addition, Dr. Henning Sören Kuchenbuch, Münster, was awarded the Gerhard Billek Prize for his dissertation.

The festive ceremony was held by the chairwoman of the Food Chemistry Society, Professor Dr. Monika Pischetsrieder, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, opened. Afterwards, Hans-Joachim Fuchtel, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Berlin, also welcomed those present before the award winners were awarded.

Professor Dr. Lothar W. Kroh, Technische Universität Berlin, received the Joseph König commemorative coin for his scientific achievements as well as for his great commitment to the visibility of Food Chemistry. In his research, the laureate deals with chemical reactions during the production and processing of food. With its diverse studies of the molecular composition and chemical reactions in food, it enables reliable statements to be made about technological and physiological effects. In addition to his outstanding scientific work, the chemist has repeatedly actively campaigned for the interests of Food Chemistry chemistry.

Lothar W. Kroh was born in Marienberg, Erzgebirge, in 1951. He studied chemistry at the Humboldt University in Berlin, where he also received his doctorate in 1981. In 1986 he completed his habilitation with a thesis on the Maillard reaction. In 1988 he became a professor for Food Chemistry at the Humboldt University in Berlin and in 1993 he was appointed professor for Food Chemistry and analysis at the Technical University of Berlin. From 1996-2004 and from 2011-2015 he was also Managing Director of the Institute for Food Chemistry at the TU Berlin. He headed the Faculty of Process Sciences from 2007-2009, initially as Vice Dean, and then as Dean from 2009-2011.

With the Werner Baltes Prize of the Young Scientist, Dr. Michael Hellwig, Dresden University of Technology, received an award. The food chemist has extensive expertise in synthetic, analytical and biochemical areas. In his research he deals with the protein oxidation of foods.

The Gerhard Billek Prize for the best dissertation in the field of Food Chemistry to Dr. Henning Sören Cake Book, Münster. This prize is announced by the GDCh for scientific originality and an interdisciplinary approach. In his work, which was awarded the title ?magna cum laude plus?, he investigates the stability and breakdown of T-2 toxin during thermal food processing. In his work, Kuchenbuch made some fundamental new findings that make a significant contribution to improving food safety.

Further information on the German Food Chemists' Day is available at: www.gdch.de/lchtag2019

With around 31,000 members, the GDCh is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Food Chemistry Society, whose task it is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of Food Chemistry and its related disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. With around 3000 members, the Food Chemistry Society is the largest division in the GDCh.

Lothar W. Kroh erhält die Joseph-König-Gedenkmünze.

Vincenzo Balzani receives the second Primo Levi Award

13th September 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Società Chimica Italiana (SCI) have the great pleasure of announcing that professor Vincenzo Balzani, member of the Accademia dei Lincei, emeritus professor of Chemistry at the University of Bologna, has been awarded with the second

Primo Levi Award.

The prize, named after Primo Levi, an Italian chemist and writer, victim and survivor of Auschwitz, was established by the two societies in 2017 for recognizing outstanding contributions of chemists in the service of humanity, in upholding human rights and for advancing the dialogue between chemistry and society.

Professor Balzani receives the prize for his deep commitment in the societal aspects of science and in the ethical behavior of scientists, and the strong effort to promote science for peace and a better world, to reduce poverty and stop wars.
The award ceremony will be held at the ?Accademia dei Lincei? in Rome on December 6, 2019.

25 Energy transition, yes - but how?

Energy transition symposium addresses opportunities and limits

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September 05, 2019

Is it enough to reduce CO2 emissions to curb climate change? Proven experts will discuss this on October 30th in Frankfurt am Main at the Energy Transition Symposium 2019. Under the motto ?Energy transition, yes - but how??, The speakers will shed light on the energy transition from an ecological, technical, economic, industrial and political perspective. The organizers are the Senior Expert Chemists division Group (SEC) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), DECHEMA and the Association of the Chemical Industry (VCI).

The energy transition, sustainability and climate protection have been preoccupying science, business and politics around the world for a number of years. Germany has also pledged to drastically reduce its CO2 emissions in order to protect the climate. Nevertheless, we will probably miss our climate target of 40 percent fewer CO2 emissions by 2020.

?The energy transition, especially sustainable energy generation, is more topical than ever. In the future, this will play an important role, especially with regard to climate protection and compliance with climate targets. We would like to consider the opportunities and possibilities, but also the limits of the energy transition. Together we want to discuss how the goals can be realized in Germany by being ecologically justifiable on the one hand and not endangering our prosperity on the other, ?says Professor Dr. Klaus-Peter Jäckel, SEC CEO.

At the Energiewende Symposium, Professor Dr. Dr. hc mult. Hans-Werner Sinn, President Emeritus of the Ifo Institute in Munich, explain the possibilities of the German energy transition from an economic point of view. Professor Dr. Ing.Manfred Fischedick, Vice President of the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy gGmbH. Professor Dr. Ferdi Schüth, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim / Ruhr. From an industrial perspective, Dr. Jörg Unger, Senior Vice President Corporate Technology & Operational Excellence at BASF SE, on BASF's carbon Management , which combines research and development activities to reduce CO2 emissions in energy-intensive production processes, thereby replacing fossil fuels with sustainable ones in the long term.

Admission is free. Registration and further information about the event at www.gdch.de/energiewende2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of her concerns is to make modern chemistry understandable to the interested public and thus to open up connections in natural sciences and technology. The GDCh is the point of contact for politics and society on all questions relating to chemistry.

24 Catalysis Researcher Award

Dieter Vogt receives the Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry at the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019

24/19
September 03, 2019

On September 18, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) awards Professor Dr. Dieter Vogt, Technical University of Dortmund, the Wöhler Award for sustainable chemistry, endowed with 7500 euros. He received the award in Aachen as part of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) - the most important chemistry congress in the German-speaking world. The GDCh honors his work on homogeneous catalysis, with which he contributes to the development and implementation of sustainable chemistry.

In his research, Vogt deals with homogeneous catalysis. Under the motto “From molecules to processes; From understanding to sustainable production", he and his working group are dedicated to sustainability in chemical synthesis. Vogt is regarded as an internationally very visible and productive catalyst. He mainly works on topics relating to new homogeneous catalysis, whereby he uses renewable raw materials to develop skilful tandem catalysis and intelligent syntheses to resource-efficient catalytic processes.

Dieter Vogt was born in 1962 in Heinsberg/Unterbruch. He studied chemistry at the University of Essen and at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH Aachen University), where he also received his doctorate in 1992 and habilitated in 1998 at the Institute for technical chemistry . After professorships at the Technical University of Eindhoven, NL, and the University of Edinburgh, UK, he accepted a professorship at the Technical University of Dortmund in 2017. There he holds the chair for technical chemistry at the faculty for biological and chemical engineering.

The award ceremony will take place on September 18th at 10 a.m. directly after the plenary symposium "Resources", in which three renowned scientists will address resource and sustainability issues as well as possible solutions from the perspective of chemistry in consecutive lectures.

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

Prof. Dr. Dieter Vogt erhält den Wöhler-Preis für Nachhaltige Chemie.

23 Julian Thiele receives Georg Manecke Prize

With microgel particles to new drugs

23/19
29th August 2019

On October 2nd, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) will honor Dr. Julian Thiele, Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research Dresden, with the Georg Manecke Prize. The chemist receives the award from the Georg Manecke Foundation, which is part of the GDCh, at the ?Multivalency in Chemistry and Biology? conference at the Free University of Berlin. The award winner conducts research in the field of polymer and colloid chemistry as well as microfluidics.

Georg Maneckes (1916-1990) was interested in preparative macromolecular chemistry with a view to the practical application of macromolecular substances, especially for biochemical and technical purposes. The Georg Manecke Prize is awarded to scientists with a doctorate who conduct research in the field of macromolecular chemistry and strive for a scientific career.

Julian Thiele receives the award for his pioneering work in the field of polymer chemistry, in which he mimics natural mechanisms in order to synthesize reactive materials. With his research group, he is developing, among other things, materials that ?heal? themselves, that is, can restore their properties. In addition, Thiele is working within the Leibniz Research Cluster (LRC) ?Bio / synthetic multifunctional micro production units - novel ways of compound development? with novel ways of developing medical active ingredients. For his research, he uses hydrogels (three-dimensional polymer networks swollen in water) as a tailor-made reaction environment for biotechnological applications. Thanks to the cell-free biosynthesis in microgels, Thiele not only enables an energy-economically optimized representation of pharmacologically and technically interesting proteins and enzymes (e.g. antibiotics), but also provides novel ways of developing active ingredients.

Julian Thiele, born 1983 in Hamburg, studied chemistry at the University of Hamburg and received his doctorate in 2011 from the University of Bayreuth. He did research at Harvard University / USA, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie (FCI). After completing his doctorate, Thiele went to the Radboud University Nijemegen / NL as a Feodor Lynen Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Since 2015 he has been group leader at the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research Dresden.

The award ceremony takes place as part of the ?Mucus Hydrogels? session, at which international scientists will present their research. The award winner will then present his work in a lecture.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. The GDCh manages twelve dependent foundations on a fiduciary basis. The purpose of these foundations is to award prizes, sponsorship awards and grants. The Georg Manecke Prize is awarded to natural scientists with a doctorate for outstanding scientific achievements in recent years. It is also intended to promote scientific networking on an international level. The prize is endowed with 7,000 euros.

Julian Thiele erhält den Georg-Maecke-Preis. (Foto: Daniel Koch)

22 From start-up to digitization – facing the change in chemistry

22/19
August 27, 2019

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) addresses the changing working conditions in chemistry this year in its accompanying events. From September 15th to 18th in Aachen, the focus will be, among other things, on digitization in the chemical industry and on successful start-ups. A job exchange with accompanying workshops and coaching also helps those starting their careers and those willing to make a change with their first steps.

“Working World 4.0 – Quo vadis chemistry?” A labor and socio-political symposium on September 17 from 10:50 a.m. will deal with this question. In keynote speeches, experts will outline the potential opportunities and risks that a more flexible, digital and knowledge-based world of work could entail and what the prerequisites for a value-adding leverage effect are. Verena Nitsch, Director of the Institute for Ergonomics at RWTH Aachen University University, Kai Beckmann, President of the BAVC, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA and CEO of the Performance Materials business unit, Henning Krassen, BMBF, Department for the Future of Work and Value Creation; innovation promotion; Industry 4.0, Iris Escher, Head of Quality Unit, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, SC Bergkamen, and Markus Antonietti, Director of the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, present their view of "Chemistry 4.0". The insights gained from the keynote speeches flow into a concluding panel discussion. The symposium is freely accessible to all interested parties, even without a conference ticket.

Start-ups still lead a shadowy existence in the German chemical landscape - and there is no shortage of good ideas. However, these are often not put into practice. This is where an intensive start-up workshop for chemists comes in, which will be offered on September 16 from 10:50 a.m. Interested teams who want to work seriously on the implementation of a project or the concrete development of their own business model learn entrepreneurial thinking and acting in the workshop. With a mixture of theoretical input and creative practical and group work, the future founders receive the tools to develop a functioning business model from an idea.

The event “Job Prospects in Digital Change” on September 18 also addresses working life and is primarily aimed at young participants. Younger working chemists will present their professional fields and report on the influence of digitization on their activities.

The one-day job fair on September 17, 2019, with an accompanying program on September 16 and 17, is aimed at career starters and those willing to change. Potential employers present themselves to the visitors and show what entry and development opportunities exist in their companies. The accompanying program on September 16 focuses on academic Career . There, among others, Professor Dr. Carsten Bolm, recipient of the 2015 Adolf von Baeyer Medal, "Why you should stay at the university!" DHV offers, career topics can be discussed confidentially. On September 17, the accompanying program will then focus on Career in industry and public service. Lectures will portray various job profiles and you can fine-tune your own Career in intensive coaching sessions. The job exchange and the accompanying accompanying program are freely accessible to all interested parties, even without a conference ticket.Registration is required for individual coaching.

Further information on the job exchange at https://www.gdch.de/jobboerse

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

Chinese Chemical Society and Chemical Society of Japan join the American Chemical Society, the German Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry as co-owners of ChemRxiv


WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2019 - The American Chemical Society, the German Chemical Society (German Chemical Society) and the Royal Society of Chemistry today announce their partnership with the Chinese Chemical Society and the Chemical Society of Japan as co-owners to support the strategic and financial development of ChemRxiv, the premier preprint server for the global chemistry community.

Through the establishment of this strong international alliance, ChemRxiv is supported, developed and led by the Societies representing the global chemistry research community. Close collaboration between the five Societies ensures the sustainability of this service and presents a clear path to broader engagement with authors and readers of the service.

?ChemRxiv is such a new project in the field of chemistry to enable scientific research to be quickly shared around the world,? says Jiannian Yao, Ph.D., president of the Chinese Chemical Society. "We are delighted to join the board and provide strong representation from China, working with our partners to better serve the global chemical community."

?We at the Chemical Society of Japan are honored to support this endeavor. ChemRxiv offers scientists a path to immediately disseminate and share their new research findings openly with readers around the globe, ?remarks Maki Kawai, Ph.D., president of the Chemical Society of Japan.

Authors working across all fields of chemistry can post their research findings to the server ahead of formal peer review and publication. The service is free of charge, features a streamlined portal for direct and easy submission and supports a wide variety of file formats. ChemRxiv submission includes a triage process that checks for plagiarism and scientific integrity, while retaining its rapid posting time of less than two business days.

Direct Journal Transfer, a recently introduced feature, enables easy submission to journals published by the American Chemical Society, the Royal Society of Chemistry and the German Chemical Society, including ChemPubSoc Europe journals. With this new agreement, journals published by the Chinese Chemical Society, including its new flagship journal CCS Chemistry, and the Chemical Society of Japan will be added in the near future.

?With the backing of the Chinese Chemical Society and the Chemical Society of Japan, we can ensure that ChemRxiv is truly the global preprint server for chemistry,? says Emma Wilson, Ph.D., chair of the ChemRxiv Governing Board. "It's an important service for researchers across the globe, representing all the chemical sciences, and cementing a partnership between five major chemical societies makes certain that our international community is at the heart of ChemRxiv."

To learn more about ChemRxiv, visit https://chemrxiv.org

About the American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, is a not-for-profit organization chartered by the US Congress. The Society is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. The Society does not conduct research, but publishes and publicizes peer-reviewed scientific studies. Through its Publications Division, ACS publishes more than 50 peer-reviewed journals and eBooks, including digital archives of legacy scientific research published since the Society's founding, as well as the industry-leading weekly news periodical, Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature. Its Publications Division offers high-quality service to authors and readers, including rapid time to publication, cutting-edge web and mobile delivery platforms and comprehensive open-access options. The Society's main offices are in Washington, DC, and Columbus, Ohio.

About the German Chemical Society
The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is the largest chemical society in continental Europe with members from academe, education, industry and other areas. The GDCh supports chemistry in teaching, research and application and promotes the understanding of chemistry in the public. In 2017 the GDCh celebrated the 150th anniversary of the founding of its predecessor society, the Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft.

About the Royal Society of Chemistry
We are an international organization connecting chemical scientists with each other, with other scientists, and with society as a whole. Founded in 1841 and based in London, UK, we have an international membership of over 50,000. We use the surplus from our global publishing and knowledge business to give thousands of chemical scientists the support and resources required to make vital advances in chemical knowledge. We develop, recognize and celebrate professional capabilities, and we bring people together to spark new ideas and new partnerships. We support teachers to inspire future generations of scientists, and we speak up to influence the people making decisions that affect us all. We are a catalyst for the chemistry that enriches our world.

About the Chinese Chemical Society
The Chinese Chemical Society is a rapidly developing academic organization in the field of chemistry in China, with currently 66,000 members and increasing continuously. CCS Congress is the brand conference of CCS, attracting over 15,000 attendees each time. Recently, the Chinese Chemical Society has made great efforts in journals, awards and related fields. You can learn more from its English website www.chinesechemsoc.org.

About The Chemical Society of Japan
The Chemical Society of Japan has a history encompassing 140 years, with a current membership exceeding 27,000, and is one of the most affluent academic societies in Japan, covering most areas of pure and applied chemistry. The prime mission of the CSJ is to promote chemistry for science and industry in collaboration with other domestic and global societies. Above all, the overriding purpose of the Society is to contribute to the betterment of human life.

21 Frank Würthner receives Adolf von Baeyer commemorative medal

Awarded as part of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019

21/19
August 20, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Frank Würthner, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg, with the Adolf von Baeyer commemorative medal. The award takes place as part of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) - the most important chemistry congress in the German-speaking world. Würthner impressed with his outstanding work on supramolecular polymers.

Würthner's research interest is particularly in dye aggregates and organic molecular semiconductors. With his research group, he develops phase materials for (opto)electronic, photovoltaic and biomedical applications as well as for (photo)catalytic water splitting. These materials are used, for example, in solar cells or field effect transistors. By using them, electricity or even promising fuels such as hydrogen can be generated from sunlight. In 2018, the chemist received one of the coveted Advanced Grants from the European Research Council (ERC) for his groundbreaking research work.

Frank Würthner was born in Villingen-Schwenningen in 1964. He studied chemistry at the University of Stuttgart, where he also received his doctorate in 1993. After a year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge/USA, he gained professional experience in the private sector at BASF in Ludwigshafen. In 1997 he moved to the University of Ulm, where he habilitated in organic chemistry in 2001. Since October 2002 he has been a full professor of organic chemistry at the University of Würzburg (Chair of Organic Chemistry II). Würthner has already received numerous prizes and awards for his research. He is one of the twenty most cited German chemists worldwide.

The award ceremony will take place on September 17 at 10 a.m. immediately after the thematically appropriate plenary symposium "Molecular Design", in which three renowned scientists will present their research.

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

Prof. Dr. Frank Würthner erhält die Adolf-von-Baeyer-Denkmünze.

20 Wilhelm Klemm Prize goes to solid state chemist Wolfgang Bensch

Further award ceremonies as part of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry

20/19
August 13, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Wolfgang Bensch, Kiel University, on September 16 in Aachen with the Wilhelm Klemm Prize. The award ceremony takes place after the first plenary symposium "Fascination Chemistry" of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo). On the same day, Professor Dr. Martin Winter, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, the Arfvedson Schlenk Award in the session "Highlights from Inorganic Chemistry". In addition, the GDCh honors Professor Dr. Walter Jansen, professor emeritus at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, with the Heinz Schmidkunz Prize.

The Wilhelm Klemm Prize commemorates the Münster professor Wilhelm Klemm, whose research advanced inorganic chemistry. The GDCh honors personalities who do outstanding work in the field of inorganics with the prize. This year Professor Dr. Wolfgang Bensch from the Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel honored for his innovative research on the chalcogenide class of compounds. With this, the GDCh honors his scientific commitment to solid-state chemistry and materials research. In particular, he is recognized for his work in the area of new synthetic methods and in situ crystal formation. In addition to his research, Bensch is involved as a university lecturer in scientific education. He has also served on the advisory boards of various peer- journals and as an adviser to the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Commission on Structural Chemistry (2011-2014).

Wolfgang Bensch, born in 1953, studied and received his doctorate at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich. After receiving his doctorate in 1983, he worked as a postdoc at the University of Zurich before working in industry at Siemens between 1986 and 1989. Bensch later switched from industry to research and completed his habilitation in 1993 at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. Since 1997 he has been Professor of Inorganic Solid State Chemistry at the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel. In 1999, the inorganic chemist received the Schleswig-Holstein Teaching Prize for his commitment to university didactics.

The Arfvedson Schlenk Award , sponsored by Albemarle, recognizes outstanding work in the field of lithium chemistry. It goes to Professor Dr. Martin Winter, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, for his research on the structure, stability and kinetics of lithium-ion batteries and for his special commitment to German battery research. Martin Winter is considered a pioneer for lithium-based intermetallic anode materials such as Li-Si and Li-Sn.

After studying and doing his doctorate at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Winter worked as a postdoc at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. He habilitated in 1999 at the Technical University of Graz, where he taught until 2007. He has been a professor at the Institute for physical chemistry at the University of Münster since 2008. Winter is the founder and scientific Head of the MEET battery research center at the University of Münster and director of the Helmholtz Institute in Münster. He has also received numerous awards for his commitment.

With the Heinz Schmidkunz Prize, the GDCh honors Professor Dr. Walter Jansen from Flensburg. He receives the award at the annual conference of the chemical education Division . The Heinz Schmidkunz Prize honors personalities who, with their special commitment, contribute to chemical didactic research, the training of chemistry teachers and chemical education in schools. The GDCh honors Jansen in particular for his concepts for school didactics of electrochemistry and his developed historical-problem-oriented teaching method. The recognition also goes to the Chemol project he founded, “Introducing children of primary school age to chemistry and natural sciences”, which resulted in an extensive collection of experiments for practical science lessons.

Walter Jansen (81) studied to become a teacher for chemistry and mathematics at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. In 1966 he received his doctorate, worked as a research assistant and chemistry teacher and in 1969 accepted a professorship at the Flensburg University of Education. Jansen held a professorship at the Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg until his retirement in 2004. Between 1992 and 1997 he was a member of the Board of the Division for chemical education education and initiated the journal Chemkon, one of the most important German journals for chemistry education, of which he was the responsible editor until 2004.


The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

Wilhelm-Klemm-Preisträger Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bensch
Prof. Dr. Martin Winter, Arvfedson-Schlenk-Preisträger ( © FZ Jülich/Judith Kraft)
Heinz-Schmidkunz-Preisträger Prof. Dr. Walter Jansen
 

19 chemists dare to "experiment future"

Symposium on the role of chemistry in solving global problems

19/19
August 8, 2019

On September 19, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is organizing the symposium "Experiment Future - Value Thinking in Chemistry" at Eurogress Aachen. The leitmotif of the satellite event for the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 is "knowing and not knowing". Together with the plenary, high-ranking personalities from research, business and science communication will discuss how chemistry can be an important and responsible partner in shaping the future.

?Knowledge? is one of the most important resources of the 21st century, but it often does not play the decisive role in the formation of public opinion. ?Fake news?, on the other hand, are often widely distributed and influence the assessment of health risks, for example. But how can ?knowing? assert itself against ?not knowing?? The focus of the event is on which values are decisive and which responsibility chemistry bears in this regard and will be thematized on the basis of the four focal points of transformation, creativity, organization and competence.

Transformation: How does the imparting of knowledge work, how does science best raise its voice today to show that the process of research and knowledge is part of society? What role do the old and new media play in not losing society?

Creativity: In an environment characterized by time and financial pressure as well as high social expectations, is it still possible to abandon the well-trodden research path? Which personal and social factors are necessary so that the ?promise of the new? can still be kept? How creative is chemistry in the 21st century?

Organization: Which university landscape will secure values such as good scientific practice, outstanding research achievements and individual development in the future? What culture allows knowledge to flourish and how do we rate the success of our efforts? Does the next generation need more space to design their own organizational forms?

Competence: Competence is necessary in order to arrive at well-founded judgments and decisions based on available knowledge. But what actually is competence and how is it perceived in society? Who explains existing knowledge at the interface of mutual interests and what role does science, especially chemistry, play in this?

The "Experiment Future" not only aims to provide information, but also to contribute to social change. For this reason, experts from research, business and science communication will present their positions in keynote speeches in the morning. In the afternoon there will be workshops (fishbowl discussion, lower house debate, World Café) with the participants on the individual focal points. In a final joint summary, "reporters" report from the workshops, make recommendations for action and discuss the results with GDCh President Dr. Matthias Urmann.

The ?Experiment Future - Value Thinking in Chemistry? will take place for the second time after its successful premiere in 2017 in Berlin's Spreespeicher. Up to 200 interested parties can take part in the free event on September 19 in the Eurogress Aachen. Media representatives are cordially invited.

Further information on the program and registration can be found at: https://www.gdch.de/experimentzukunft

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with almost 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports training in schools and universities as well as continuous training for work and Career.

18 How “organic” and sustainable is bamboo tableware?

Food chemists' day in Dresden with various topics on consumer protection

18/19
August 6, 2019

The 48th German Food Chemists Day will take place from September 16 to 18 at the Technical University of Dresden. At the annual meeting of the Food Chemistry Society (LChG), a division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh), the focus is on consumer protection. Among other things, it is about whether bamboo tableware is actually as sustainable as it is advertised and whether the new hemp products with cannabidiol (CBD) pose a health risk. In a public evening lecture, Professor Dr. Ulrich Nöhle, Technical University of Braunschweig, with a wink of how the professional profile of food chemists has changed over the past 40 years.

We can no longer imagine our everyday life without them: reusable cups made of bamboo fibers are replacing disposable coffee-to-go cups. In order to reduce waste, consumers use the supposedly sustainable products, which, according to the manufacturer, should be "100% biodegradable" or "100% made of bamboo fiber". Lydia Richter from the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA) Stuttgart shows that consumers are deceived by such statements. Because the bamboo fibers are consolidated with a synthetic resin binder that is not biodegradable. Mostly it is melamine-formaldehyde resin, which can make up up to 60% of the total material. The cups are therefore considered to be plastic objects in contact with food and must comply with the specific limit values for how much of an ingredient in the packaging may migrate into the food. However, bamboo fibers have not yet been assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The CVUA has therefore checked more closely whether and under what circumstances bamboo tableware complies with the limit values for formaldehyde and melanin.

The current hype about new hemp products with cannabidiol (CBD) is Dr. Dirk W. Lachenmeier, CVUA Karlsruhe got to the bottom. Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has become popular in cannabis supplements in recent years. Consumers expect it to have a positive effect on their health. A risk assessment of CBD products is primarily about the content of the psychoactive ingredient ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). As a study by the CVUA showed, many CBD food supplements contain a noticeably high THC content. The results suggested that the chemically closely related THC is also enriched or insufficiently separated in the manufacture of CBD products. Even if only one consumption unit was consumed, the ?Lowest observed adverse effect level? (LOAEL) of 2.5 mg THC per day was exceeded and the products were criticized as unsafe food.

On the first evening of the conference, Professor Dr. Ulrich Nöhle, Technical University of Braunschweig, gives an insight into the everyday professional life of food chemists and how, from his point of view, it has changed over the past 40 years. The public evening lecture with the title ?From chef to global crisis manager, from sleepless nights, audit terrorism and German fear. A food chemist's journey through time from 1979 to 2019 ?begins at 6:40 pm in the Audimax of the TU Dresden. All interested parties are cordially invited. Admission to the evening lecture is free.

Further information on the conference at www.gdch.de/lchtag2019

With around 31,000 members, the GDCh is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Food Chemistry Society, whose task it is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of Food Chemistry and its related disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. With around 3000 members, the Food Chemistry Society is the largest division in the GDCh.

17 Otto Hahn Prize 2019 goes to solid-state chemist Martin Jansen

JOINT PRESS RELEASE from the City of Frankfurt am Main, the German Chemical Society eV (GDCh) and the German Physical Society eV (DPG)

17/19
15th July 2019

The emeritus director of the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Professor Dr. Dr. hc Martin Jansen, receives the Otto Hahn Prize 2019. The award is endowed with 50,000 euros and is jointly supported by the City of Frankfurt am Main, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Physical Society (DPG). The award ceremony will take place on November 11th in the festive setting of the Paulskirche in Frankfurt. The laureate revolutionized the synthesis of unknown and exotic compounds with his principle of rational synthesis planning. His research opens up new avenues in the search for innovative materials.

"We are delighted to be able to honor Professor Martin Jansen as a renowned scientist with this important award, especially in the year of Otto Hahn's 140th birthday and at the same time the 60th anniversary of his honorary citizenship of the city of Frankfurt am Main," says Peter Feldmann, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt on the Main river.

"Jansen's demanding and original research on the synthesis of unknown and exotic compounds paves the way for novel materials that can, for example, make a contribution to more efficient energy generation," explains Dr. Matthias Urmann, President of the German Chemical Society. "Physicists admire the ability of colleagues in chemistry like Martin Jansen to create new substances that often also offer new physical phenomena," adds Professor Dr. Dieter Meschede, President of the German Physical Society. The Frankfurt Head of the Department for Culture and Science Dr. Ina Hartwig adds: ?The city of Frankfurt am Main can look back on a long tradition of scientific excellence. I warmly congratulate Professor Jansen on being awarded the Otto Hahn Prize, which we award in memory of our city's great son. "

In his basic research in inorganic solid-state chemistry, Jansen is concerned with opening up new solids with interesting material properties and developing innovative materials. His focus is on new binary and ternary oxides, superconducting oxides, ion conductors, oxidic structural ceramics and pigments, endohedral fullerenes and fullerides and amorphous inorganic nitridic networks. Such materials have special properties that distinguish them from classic materials. The Si-BNC high-performance ceramics (Si: silicon, B: boron, N: nitrogen, C: carbon) discovered and developed by Jansen are more stable to heat and oxidative decomposition than metallic materials and all previously known high-performance ceramics. The light and temperature-stable material is also amorphous and therefore not brittle like other ceramic materials. Jansen also broke new ground in synthesizing the material. From simple molecules with the desired bonds, he produced a polymer in the laboratory that can be decomposed into the desired ceramic under heat. Thanks to this unique synthesis strategy, not only can powder and thin layers of ceramic be made from the polymer, but fibers can also be drawn.

More recently, Jansen has become known for theoretical work on structure prediction and synthesis planning. His rational solid-state synthesis describes a novel concept for planning solid-state syntheses. Theoretical and experimental processes are combined in order to be able to develop new materials rationally and effectively.

Martin Jansen was born on November 5, 1944 on the North Sea island of Pellworm. He studied at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, where he also received his doctorate in 1973 and completed his habilitation in Inorganic Chemistry in 1978. He subsequently held professorships at the Leibniz University of Hanover and the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. In 1998 he became director at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and honorary professor at the University of Stuttgart. Since his retirement in 2012, he has been a visiting scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (in Dresden). He has received numerous prizes and awards for his research, including the Karl Ziegler Prize of the GDCh in 2007.

The Otto Hahn Prize is awarded jointly by the City of Frankfurt am Main, the German Physical Society (DPG) and the German Chemical Society (GDCh). It serves to promote science in particular in the fields of chemistry, Physics and applied engineering by recognizing outstanding scientific achievements. It is endowed with 50,000 euros and is awarded every two years with a ceremony in Frankfurt's Paulskirche.

Images for download

Otto-Hahn-Preisträger Martin Jansen

16 Klaus Müllen receives the Karl Ziegler Award

Opening event of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry with further award ceremonies

16/19
July 11, 2019

On September 15, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) honors Professor Dr. Klaus Müllen, Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, with the Karl Ziegler Award . The award ceremony takes place during the festive framework of the opening of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) in Aachen. On site, Professor Dr. Andrea Sinz, University of Halle-Wittenberg, and Professor Dr. Detlev Belder, University of Leipzig, the Fresenius Award. professor dr Kyoko Nozaki, University of Tokyo, Japan, will be honored with the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Lecture and will then give the keynote speech.

All prizes are presented by GDCh President Dr. Matthias Urmann, who also leads through the evening. Prominent guests also have their say at the event: Armin Laschet, Prime Minister of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Professor Dr. Pilar Goya, President of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), Dr. Floris Rutjes, President of the Royal Dutch Chemical Association (KNCV), NL, and Dr. Eric Schouteden, Vice President of the Koninklijke Vlamse Chemische Verenigung (KVCV), BE, will welcome the visitors.

The Karl Ziegler Award is awarded by the foundation of the same name, which administers the GDCh. With prize money of EUR 50,000 and a gold medal, it is one of the most valuable chemistry prizes in Germany. Müllen receives the award for his lifelong commitment as an ambassador for chemistry. His outstanding research, in which he combined organic chemistry and polymer chemistry and used organometallic agents for the synthesis of organic molecules and systems, received international recognition. Müllen's interdisciplinary work led to applications in batteries, fuel cells, LEDs and organic solar cells, among others. In addition to his scientific work, he was committed to strengthening cooperation between science and industry and was committed to the scientific community, including as President of the GDCh (2009/2010) and the GDNÄ (2013/2014). He is also considered a convinced and convincing ambassador of chemistry in science and the public.

Klaus Müllen (72) studied chemistry in Cologne and received his doctorate from the University of Basel. He habilitated at ETH Zurich and then held professorships at the Universities of Cologne and Mainz. From 1989 until his retirement in 2016, Müllen was Director at the MPI for Polymer Research in Mainz. He has received numerous awards and honorary doctorates for his research and is a member of several academies of science.

With the Fresenius Award , the GDCh Professor Dr. Andrea Sinz, University of Halle-Wittenberg, and Professor Dr. Detlev Belder, University of Leipzig. Both receive a gold medal, a certificate and a sum of money for their special services to scientific development and the promotion of analytical chemistry.

Andrea Sinz is regarded as a pioneer of cross-linking mass spectroscopy, which combines chemical aspects and mass spectroscopy in an impressive way and helped structural mass spectroscopy, in particular for the analysis of protein structures and protein-protein interactions, to achieve a breakthrough. Born in 1969, the scientist studied pharmacy at the University of Tübingen. After completing her doctorate in 1997, she worked as a postdoc in Germany and abroad and at the same time completed vocational training to become a specialist pharmacist for pharmaceutical analysis. Sinz then habilitated at the University of Leipzig before becoming a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg in 2007.

Detlev Belder receives the award in particular for his internationally renowned research work in the field of miniaturized separation technology, both in the chemical and technical fields. In addition, the scientist does valuable committee work for analytical chemistry. Belder was born in 1964. He studied chemistry at the Technical University of Clausthal and the University of Marburg, where he received his doctorate in 1994. After several years of research, he habilitated in 2003 at the University of Wuppertal. Since 2007 he has been Professor of Analytical Chemistry / Concentration Analysis at the University of Leipzig.

At the end of the event, Professor Dr. Kyoko Nozaki, Tokyo, JP, awarded the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Lecture and hold the keynote speech before the GDCh invites to the welcome reception.

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded. RWTH Aachen University supports WiFo 2019 through its involvement in the local committee and is represented in the exhibition with various research areas and as part of an excellence cluster.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

Images for download:

Klaus Müllen
Andrea Sinz
Detlev Belder
Kyoko Nozaki

15 Statistics on chemistry courses published in 2018

Over 10,000 students began studying chemistry

15/19
July 2, 2019

Chemistry courses continue to enjoy great popularity, as the new statistics on chemistry courses from the German Chemical Society (GDCh) show. In 2018, a total of 10,499 beginners began a chemistry course – a slight decrease compared to the previous year (2017: 11,339). At the same time, the universities reported a slight increase in master's or diploma graduates. A total of 4065 students completed a chemistry degree (2017: 4144). The total number of doctorates fell slightly to 2,240 (2017: 2,325), but remains at a high level. Around 85% of the master's graduates at universities began a doctorate. This value is lower than the long-term average (90%) and now appears to be leveling off at a lower level.

The following picture emerges in the individual courses:
In the field of chemistry/business chemistry, 2501 students (2017: 2486) successfully completed their bachelor's university courses and 2331 the master's university courses (2017: 2444). The median study duration was 6.4 semesters (2017: 6.6) for a bachelor’s degree and 4.5 semesters for a master’s degree (2017: 4.6). 1925 people received their doctorate in chemistry/business chemistry in 2017 (2017: 2019). The median duration of a doctorate was 8.3 semesters (2017: 8.0).

In biochemistry and life sciences, 981 bachelor's (2017: 867) and 809 master's graduates (2017: 828) were reported, as well as 229 doctorates (2017: 251). Here, the length of study remained (almost) the same as in the previous year at 6.4 semesters (2017: 6.4) for the Bachelor and 4.7 semesters (2017: 4.5) for the Master. The median duration of doctoral studies also remained unchanged at 8.7 semesters.

In food chemistry, 225 people (2017: 220) completed the 1st state examination or the diploma examination. 177 students (2017: 169) passed the second state examination. In addition, the universities reported 120 bachelor's (2017: 150) and 122 master's degrees (2017: 93) and 86 doctorates (2017: 55).

Almost all bachelor's graduates from universities (99%) and 68% from universities of applied sciences (HAW) went on to do a master's degree. Around 85% of Master's graduates at universities and 11% of Master's graduates at HAW began a doctorate.

The first step in professional life is known for 59% of graduates with a doctorate in chemistry. According to information from the universities, around 36% (2017: 35%) of chemists who had just obtained their doctorate were hired in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, and 13% took up a position in the rest of the economy (2017: 11%). 12% went abroad after completing their doctorate (2017: 12%), in most cases for a postdoctoral stay. 19% started in an initially temporary position in Germany (including postdocs) (2017: 20%) . Compared to the previous year, the number of graduates who found employment in the public sector increased slightly by just under 6% (2017: 4%). 11% (2017: 11%) were temporarily looking for a job – also due to the timing of the survey.

For more than 65 years (since 1952), the GDCh has been collecting comprehensive statistical data on chemistry courses every year. This year, the data for 2018 was queried in the courses of study in chemistry, business chemistry, biochemistry/life sciences, food chemistry and in the chemistry courses of the universities of applied sciences (HAW), formerly universities of applied sciences. The number of beginners, the number of passed final exams and the respective grades and duration of study were recorded. In addition, many universities provided information on their graduates' career entry after graduation or doctorate. The cut-off date for the survey is December 31st.

The brochure "Statistics of chemistry courses 2018" can be downloaded from the GDCh website. This year, for the first time, a short version presents the results in compressed form.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Among other things, it deals with current developments at universities and on the job market. The GDCh calculates information on the number of students in the various stages of study, the examinations taken and the duration of study every year (key date: December 31st). The information is provided to the GDCh by the chemistry departments of the universities.

More graphics for download

Abb. 1: Titelbild der Broschüre „Statistik der Chemiestudiengänge 2018"
Abb. 2: Zahl der Promotionen in Biochemie, LM-Chemie, Chemie (v.l.)
Abb. 3: Zahl MSc.- und Dipl.-Absolventen aller Chemie-Studiengänge
Abb. 4: Semesteranzahl bis MSc.-Abschluss (Median; v.l.: Chemie, BC, LM-Chemie , HAW)

14 Battery or fuel cell - or is it diesel?

How can mobility be made more climate-friendly?

14/19
June 6, 2019


In order to protect the climate and limit global warming, Germany has committed itself to massively reducing its CO2 emissions. But the value has hardly fallen since 2005 - Germany will probably miss its climate target of minus 40 percent by 2020. The air quality expert, Professor Dr. Reinhard Zellner, deals with what the transport sector can contribute to climate protection and what climate-friendly mobility of the future could look like. The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is now publishing a review article by Zellner as a special edition.

There are many answers to the question why the German climate targets are threatened. Professor Dr. Reinhard Zellner has analyzed the transport sector extensively in the article "Too much CO2 from traffic: Is electric mobility the solution?" And knows the problems. ?Based on the findings of atmospheric and climate research, we now have a very precise understanding of the causes of climate change. However, there is a lack of consistent implementation of targeted countermeasures and the necessary openness for the development of various scientific and technical alternatives, ?explains Zellner.

In his review article, he describes why emissions are not falling despite numerous measures. He looks at gasoline, diesel vehicles, electric cars and fuel cell vehicles and explains the advantages and disadvantages of the vehicles for the CO2 balance - with some surprising results. Zellner also takes a close look at the political measures for climate protection and shows why the desired goals can only be achieved to a limited extent with the currently politically favored battery technology. At the same time, he presents recommendations on how climate-friendly mobility could look in the future, taking into account various drive technologies and the new CO2-based synthetic fuels, so-called e-fuels, as well as the different energy densities of batteries and fuels.

Reinhard Zellner was professor of physical chemistry with a focus on Atmospheric Chemistry chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen until his retirement in 2018. He was a member of the German Bundestag's study commissions ?Protection of the Earth's Atmosphere? and ?Protection of Man and the Environment?, coordinated the German ozone research program and was chairman of the Federal Research Ministry's expert group ?Global Environmental Aspects?. Until 2018 he was also responsible for the working committees "Chemistry, Air Quality and Climate" and "Fine Dust" of GDCh, ProcessNet, German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry and the Commission for Air Quality Control. His article ?Too much CO2 from traffic: Is electric mobility the solution?? First appeared in the March issue of the GDCh magazine ?Nachrichten aus der Chemie?.

The special print for download

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of her concerns is to make modern chemistry understandable to the interested public and thus to open up connections in natural sciences and technology. The GDCh is the point of contact for politics and society on all questions relating to chemistry.

13 “Chemistry – the common element”

GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 in Aachen

13/19
May 16, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is organizing this year's GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) from September 15th to 18th in Aachen. More than 2000 chemists from Germany and abroad are expected to attend the most important chemistry congress in the German-speaking region. More than 25 symposiums are dedicated to different specialist areas of chemistry and numerous renowned prizes – including the Karl Ziegler Award , which is endowed with 50,000 euros – are awarded. A job exchange, an intensive start-up workshop for chemists and a panel discussion on the world of work 4.0 in chemistry provide an overview of current career opportunities. An accompanying exhibition rounds off the event.

The Karl Ziegler Award will be awarded at the opening ceremony of the WiFo on September 15th in the Eurogress Aachen – one of the most highly endowed German chemistry prizes. On the following days, the scientific symposia and specialist group annual conferences are in the foreground. In addition to the three top-class plenary symposia "Fascination Chemistry" (on the occasion of the International Year of the Periodic Table 2019), "Molecular Design" and "Resources", other symposia are dedicated to the topics of "Synthesis and Catalysis", "Materials", "Energy, Resources and Environment", "Life Sciences", "Analytical Chemistry", "Theoretical Chemistry", "chemical education" and "history of chemistry". The Working Group Phosphorus Chemistry Chemistry working group, newly founded in the GDCh, is also involved with an interdisciplinary symposium "Happy 350th Anniversary, Phosphorus".

In addition to the scientific lectures, the WiFo also offers a varied supporting program. The job exchange with its accompanying program helps graduates to start their careers, workshops are dedicated to career prospects in times of digital change or starting a business, and a panel discussion is about what a working world 4.0 in chemistry could look like. Numerous excursions invite you to explore Aachen and the surrounding area (also in a chemical-scientific context). The opening ceremony and the social evening offer the opportunity to expand the professional network in an informal environment. And a "ChemSlam" invites high school students to experience chemistry from its entertaining side.

The Dutch (Koninklijke Nederlandse Chemische Vereniging - KNCV) and the Flemish-Belgian chemical society (Koninklijke Vlaamse Chemische Vereniging - KVCV) support the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 as transnational partners, among other things in the design of the scientific program.

The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry (WiFo) – in a nutshell
The GDCh Science Forum Chemistry 2019 will take place under the motto "Chemistry - the common element" from September 15th to 18th at the Eurogress in Aachen. More than 2000 participants are expected, who will be offered a varied program of plenary lectures, main symposia, poster exhibitions and workshops. In addition, numerous prizes are awarded.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. Every two years it organizes the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry at different locations in Germany. The GDCh also invites renowned international scientists to give lectures at this most important German chemistry congress.

12 Science bridges cultures - science connects

Joint call for five scientific and mathematical societies to participate in the upcoming March for Science

12/19
2nd May 2019

Another March for Science will take place on May 4, 2019. In many cities in Germany, thousands of people - not just scientists - will take to the streets to demonstrate for science.

In addition to many banners, you will also notice the words ?Science Bridges Cultures? on buttons. Under this motto, five scientific societies called on their more than 130,000 members to take part in the March for Science 2019: the Umbrella Association of Geosciences (DVGeo), the German Mathematicians Association (DMV), the German Physical Society (DPG), the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO).

The major mathematical and natural science societies want to set a common signal again this year that exact and careful sciences are essential for a modern society and must not be bent for populist theses. Scientific facts must not be denied, relativized or compared with ?alternative facts? as being of equal value. If findings such as man-made climate change are played down and initiatives against global warming are discontinued or scaled back, this threatens the lives of millions of people.

A sign of science
The classification of scientific knowledge requires a free scientific discourse led with rational arguments. Scientific facts form the basis for the political and social debate. The mathematical and scientific societies resolutely oppose the falsification of scientific knowledge. If the findings of research and science are presented only as one possible opinion of many, they lose their meaning and science is ultimately deprived of its right to exist. The scientific gain in knowledge must remain the measure of all things, also and especially when it leads to uncomfortable answers. Scientific facts as the basis of social discourse are not negotiable!

Science thrives on cooperation across borders
In addition, scientific facts are not tied to national borders. Therefore, the free exchange between scientists of all nationalities must not be restricted. The mathematical and natural scientific societies therefore advocate the unlimited exchange of scientific ideas. All actors must be able to research and travel freely. Because science bridges cultures - science connects.

The website www.wissenschaft-verbindet.de provides information about other joint activities of the five specialist societies.

The five professional societies together represent over 130,000 members. They are linked by the awareness that those who work in science are responsible to a particularly high degree for shaping the entire human life. They oblige their members to stand up for freedom, tolerance, truthfulness and dignity in science. You are convinced that scientific knowledge is a prerequisite for meeting the challenges of the future. Facts must form the basis for political and social debates. This requires a free scientific discourse led with rational arguments.

Information about the companies:
Umbrella Association of Geosciences (DVGeo)
German Mathematicians Association (DMV)
German Physical Society (DPG)
German Chemical Society (GDCh)
Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany (VBIO)

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of her concerns is to make modern chemistry understandable to the interested public and thus to open up connections in natural sciences and technology.

Logo zum Download

11 What extreme weather means for water quality

conference "Water 2019" with a public evening lecture and award ceremonies

11/19
April 30, 2019

The "Water 2019" conference will take place in Erfurt from May 27th to 29th. The organizer is the Water Chemistry Society, a division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh). Around 300 chemists come together in the state capital of Thuringia to discuss current issues in Water chemistry . In addition to the scientific program, the Willy Hager Prize, two doctoral prizes and the Prize of the Water Chemical Society are also awarded. On the first evening of the conference, a public evening lecture will address flood events in Thuringia from 1500 to 2013.

In Erfurt, water chemists and experts from other water disciplines deal with current research on wastewater, drinking water, nanoparticles and microplastics, water treatment and trace substances. This year there is also a focus on the special topic ?Extreme Events and Water Quality?. The problems caused by extreme weather events were recently shown in the low-precipitation summer of 2018. The experts in Erfurt explain the effects of low water levels in rivers, increased water temperatures and heavy rain on water quality.

The public evening lecture on May 27th also refers to the special topic: Dr. Mathias Deutsch reports on "Flood events in Thuringia (1500-2013)". In addition to the history of hydraulic engineering, his lecture also deals with historical flood events and protection measures. Admission is free for anyone interested, even if they are not attending the conference . The lecture will take place at 7:45 pm in the lecture hall of the "Dorint Hotel am Dom Erfurt".

As part of the opening event on May 27, two winners will be honored with the Willy Hager Prize. Dr.-Ing. Asya Drenkova-Tuhtan, University of Stuttgart, receives the award from the Willy Hager Foundation for her work on phosphorus elimination and
- recovery from wastewater with reusable nanocomposite magnetic particles. And Dr.-Ing. Maximilian Weißbach, Technical University of Munich, receives the award for the development and technical implementation of control strategies in wastewater treatment systems with which nitrogen can be removed and at the same time energy can be recovered from nitrogen.

With a doctoral award - sponsored by the Walter Kölle Foundation - Dr. Tobias Bader, State Water Supply Association, Langenau, and Dr. Jens Müller, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde, received an award. Bader convinced the jury with the development of a reliable strategy for evaluating LC-HRMS data - a further development of non-target analysis, which is of great importance in the water industry - and Müller with his research on the acidification of the oceans.

The Prize of the Water Chemical Society - also funded by the Walter Kölle Foundation - goes to Dr. Holger Lutze, University of Duisburg-Essen, for his extensive work on oxidative processes in aqueous systems. With his internationally acclaimed investigations, which range from basic mechanisms to the scientific support of large-scale implementations, he has given water chemistry research important new impulses.

The program and further information about the conference atwww.gdch.de/wasser2019.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It founded 27 specialist groups, including the Water Chemistry Society, in 1926 as the "division for Water chemistry" in the Association of German Chemists. In 1948 it was re-established as the "division Water chemistry" in the GDCh, since 2000 it has been called "Water Chemistry Society - division in der GDCh". Its more than 900 members are committed to effective protection, sensible use, appropriate treatment and purification as well as the proper examination and assessment of the water. More information at: www.wasserchemische-gesellschaft.de.

10 New website: Chemistry (almost) without formulas

10/19
April 25, 2019

The new website faszinationchemie.de of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) provides facts, opinions and entertaining facts about chemistry. The level of difficulty of the articles varies from ?easy to understand? to ?chemistry savvy? - however, complicated chemical formulas are largely dispensed with. The contributions take up exciting aspects of chemistry, current controversies and also "fun facts" from the chemical world.

The blog-like website gestaltetet faszinationchemie.de delivers directly on the homepage always the latest posts from the categories "knowledge and facts", "opinion and controversy" and "Chemistry for nerds."

In the "Knowledge and Facts" section, scientific topics are explained in an understandable way. This year there will be two focal points within this section: In keeping with the International Year of the Periodic Table, numerous articles deal with individual chemical elements and where these play a role in current research. These contributions are somewhat more demanding and address a pre-trained audience, for example chemistry students. The second focus is on ?chemistry and health?. Among other things, it is about how drugs are developed, how chemical processes help with diagnostics and the current state of research in drugs against cancer, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

The section ?Opinion and controversy? deals with controversial issues. The very first post is about glyphosate. Two experts present their different points of view in a ?Pro and Contra? and explain their positions. More controversial issues will follow later in the year.
In the ?Chemistry for Nerds? section you will find cartoons, comics and videos all about chemistry. Most of the articles in this category do not require any prior knowledge of chemistry. They are suitable for all ages and levels of knowledge.

The website faszinationchemie.de has been optimized for use with all end devices. A comment function allows you to have a say in the individual articles. The articles can also be shared and discussed on Facebook, Twitter and Xing via ?social sharing buttons?.

To the new website: faszinationchemie.de

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. One of her concerns is to make modern chemistry understandable to the interested public and thus to open up connections in natural sciences and technology.

Screenshot faszinationchemie.de

09 Award for excellent University teaching

Lena Daumann receives the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Chemistry

09/19
3rd April 2019

Tomorrow the Ars legendi faculty award for excellent University teaching teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences will be awarded in Berlin. In the chemistry category, Professor Dr. Lena Daumann from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich received the award for excellent University teaching. The prizewinner convinced the jury with her innovative teaching and learning methods, which involve the students particularly actively in teaching and learning. Further Ars legendi faculty prizes go to PD Dr. Markus Piotrowski from the Ruhr University Bochum (Biology), Dr. Robert Rockenfeller from the University of Koblenz-Landau (mathematics) and Professor Dr. Burkhard Priemer from the Humboldt University of Berlin (Physics).

Daumann developed a creative teaching concept and incorporated modern methods into her teaching. In her lecture, for example, she uses an app to activate students with interactive quiz questions; At the same time, she can playfully gain an overview of the level of knowledge of the lecture participants. Students can set their own exam tasks by everyone contributing a task to the exam. To prepare for the exam, these questions are made available to all students online. "Lena Daumann's principle for successful learning successfully emphasizes the autonomy of the students", the jury explains their decision.

Lena Daumann, born in 1983, did her doctorate in chemistry at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in 2013 at the University of Queensland, Australia. A Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship took her to the University of California, Berkeley, USA, and again to the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. Daumann has been Professor of Bioorganic Chemistry at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich since 2016. She will receive the award at a festive event at 5 p.m. in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW).

The Ars legendi Prize is awarded in the four categories of Biology, chemistry, mathematics and Physics and is endowed with ? 5,000 each. The prize was awarded by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, the German Chemical Society, the German Mathematicians Association, the German Physical Society and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany. The prize is intended to make the importance of University teaching teaching for the education of the next generation in mathematics and the natural sciences visible and to create a career-effective incentive to get involved in University teaching teaching and to promote it beyond one's own sphere of activity.

Additional information on this year's Ars legendi faculty award and the other award winners can be found in press release 7/19 of March 7, 2019: www.gdch.de/presse

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world with over 31,000 members. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports training in schools and universities as well as continuous training for work and Career.

Lena Daumann erhält den Ars legendi-Fakultätenpreis im Fach Chemie (Foto: privat)

08 Sustainability needs innovations

Statement by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) on the government draft of the 2020 federal budget

08/2019
March 28, 2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh) criticizes the planned financial cuts in the funds that are to be made available to the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the future.

On March 20, 2019, the federal government adopted the key figures for the government's draft federal budget for 2020 and for the financial plan for 2019 to 2023. According to this, the budget of the BMBF will decrease by 2.9 percent from 18.3 billion euros in 2019 to 17.7 billion euros in 2020. The financial plan provides for a further reduction to 17.6 billion euros by 2023.

As a high-tech country, Germany urgently needs a political framework that provides the best possible support for training, research and development along the entire education and value chain. Well-trained specialists and strong basic and application-oriented research are particularly important for chemistry.

?High standards in education and research are the basic requirement for innovations in chemistry. And only with innovations will we be able to survive in international competition and thus keep Germany fit for the future, ?emphasizes GDCh President Dr. Matthias Urmann.

GDCh board member Professor Dr. Katharina Landfester adds: ?Chemical developments lead, for example, to new materials that are essential for the energy transition and future mobility concepts. With the reduction of the BMBF budget, negative effects on the necessary research activities are to be feared. The federal government is looking backwards here and urgently needs to rethink. "

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with almost 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports training in schools and universities as well as continuous training for work and Career.

GDCh-Präsident Dr. Matthias Urmann
GDCh-Vorstandsmitglied Professorin Dr. Katharina Landfester

07 Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences 2019 awarded

07/19
March 7, 2019

The Ars legendi faculty award for excellent University teaching teaching in mathematics and the natural sciences goes this year to Markus Piotrowski from the Ruhr University Bochum (Biology), Lena Daumann from the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (chemistry), and Robert Rockenfeller from the University of Koblenz -Landau (mathematics) and Burkhard Priemer from the Humboldt University of Berlin (Physics).

The Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences is awarded to scientists who distinguish themselves through outstanding, innovative and exemplary performance in teaching, advice and support. The prize is awarded by the Stifterverband, the German Mathematicians Association, the German Physical Society, the German Chemical Society and the Association of Biology, Biosciences and Biomedicine in Germany. The award has been given since 2014 in the categories of Biology, chemistry, mathematics and Physics and is endowed with 5,000 euros each. The winners were selected by an eleven-person jury made up of representatives from the field, representatives from university didactics and students. She awarded the Ars legendi Faculty Prize 2019 to the following university professors:

In Biology
the award goes to the private lecturer Dr. Markus Piotrowski from the Ruhr University Bochum. He is a pioneer in establishing eLearning concepts in laboratory biology teaching and designed and implemented the plant physiology course ?PpÜ goes digital? at the University of Bochum. In this eLearning offer, the basics of experimental work are imparted interactively, working methods are presented in tutorial videos and antestates are written online. The students are enthusiastic about this offer as preparation for the practical laboratory exercises, also with regard to the flexibility in terms of time and repeatability. "The positive experiences already have a multiplier effect in the entire faculty," emphasized the jury.

In chemistry
the award goes to Professor Dr. Lena Daumann, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich. She receives the award for her innovative teaching and learning methods, which involve students particularly actively in teaching and learning. In her lecture, for example, she uses an app to activate students with interactive quiz questions; At the same time, she can playfully gain an overview of the level of knowledge of the lecture participants. Students can set their own exam tasks by everyone contributing a task to the exam. To prepare for the exam, these questions are made available to all students online. "Lena Daumann's principle for successful learning successfully emphasizes the autonomy of the students", the jury sums up.

In mathematics
the award goes to Dr. Robert Rockenfeller, research assistant at the University of Koblenz-Landau. He has set himself the goal of implementing the advantages of various digital learning methods at the mathematics institute of his university in a concrete, comprehensive and sustainable manner, evaluating them in parallel with the students and accompanying and supporting the corresponding transformation process at the university level. The jury was impressed by the scope and depth of Robert Rockenfeller's commitment and, with his award, would also like to show young employees before the professorship that it is worthwhile to commit to excellent teaching.

In Physics
this year Professor Dr. Burkhard Priemer, Physics Didactics at the Humboldt University in Berlin. Burkhard Priemer has been running the course "Selected Topics in Physics" for primary school teachers for three years, because children's questions in nature, the environment and technology, such as "Why is the sky blue?", Form the basis for a scientific understanding in primary school. ?What actually is electricity?? Or ?Why does a ship swim??. Students are currently under-prepared for questions like these, which is why they feel unsure about teaching these topics. The jury primarily honors the sustainability of the concept developed by Burkhard Priemer with the award. It ensures that teachers have sufficient knowledge to impart a basic understanding of science to future generations.

Award ceremony
Interested parties are cordially invited to the festive awarding of the Ars legendi Faculty Prize for Mathematics and Natural Sciences 2019. It will take place on April 4, 2019 at 5 p.m. in the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW). As part of the public event, the mathematics professor and BBAW president Martin Grötschel will give a lecture on theoretical and application-related aspects of mathematics. Please register by March 29, 2019 by e-mail to medienbuero@mathematik.de.

additional Information
Information on the Ars legendi faculty award for mathematics and natural sciences can be found at https://stifterverband.org/ars-legendi-mn

Contact Person
Thomas Vogt, Tel .: (030) 838-75657, E-Mail: medienbuero@mathematik.de
Press contact Stifterverband:
Peggy Groß, phone: (030) 982 322-530, email: peggy.gross@stifterverband.de

06 Focus on innovative drugs

conference ?Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry? with awarding of the Klaus Grohe Prize for Medicinal Chemistry in Würzburg

06/19
5th March 2019

The international conference ?Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry? will take place from March 24th to 27th at the University of Würzburg. Around 200 visitors are expected to attend the event, which is organized by the Medicinal Chemistry division of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) together with the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS) and the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG). As part of the conference , one young scientist will also be awarded the Klaus Grohe Prize for Medicinal Chemistry .

Medical chemists deal with biologically active substances in an interdisciplinary manner and examine their mechanisms of action. The aim is to develop new drugs. What progress has been made in medicinal chemistry in the recent past and what research is about to make a breakthrough is the topic of the annual conference "Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry".

With their work, two young scientists have contributed fundamentally to future drug research and have received the Klaus Grohe Prize for Medicinal Chemistry, each endowed with two thousand euros. Dr. Annabelle Hoegl, University of Copenhagen, DK, and Dr. Philipp Cromm, Bayer AG, Berlin. After the award ceremony, both award winners will provide insights into their research.

Prof. Dr. During his professional career as a research chemist, Klaus Grohe (* 1934) developed important innovative drugs with great success. In 2001 the couple Klaus and Eva Grohe set up the Klaus Grohe Foundation at the GDCh, which aims to encourage highly qualified young people to turn to the demanding interdisciplinary field of medical chemistry / drug research. Since 2004, the foundation has awarded the Klaus Grohe Prize to up to three young scientists at domestic and foreign (European) research institutions who are active in the field of medicinal chemistry. This year the prize will be awarded for the last time as a prize for young talent. In the course of a realignment, the prize will in future be given higher endowments and awarded to internationally renowned scientists in the field of drug development, whose research results make an important contribution towards application.

Further information can be found at: www.gdch.de/medchem2019.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Medicinal Chemistry division . It has existed since 1971 and has over 800 members. These work in university institutes, other research institutions and in the pharmaceutical industry. Its members are primarily chemists and pharmacists, but also computer scientists, process engineers, etc. The division aims to bridge the gap between chemistry on the one hand and Biology, Medicine and Pharmacy on the other.

05 On the trail of olive oil fans

05/19
February 22, 2019

On March 6, the Regional Association North Rhine-Westphalia of the Food Chemistry Society invites you to its workshop on the Freudenberg campus of the Bergische Universität Wuppertal. The program includes quality standards in the food chain, the evaluation of virgin olive oil and the formation of oxidation products of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Adulterated olive oil offers food fraudsters large profit margins and is difficult to identify as counterfeit by consumers. Food chemists can significantly support consumer protection here. With their methods, which will be presented at the conference , the authenticity of olive oil can be clearly checked. Other experts also give practical insights into their areas of activity and show the interdisciplinary nature of the subject: from research institutions to the Federal Food Safety and Consumer Protection Office to business advice in the field of food law, traceability and hygiene management - the group of participants is broad.

In the afternoon, scientists from the universities of Wuppertal, Münster, Duisburg-Essen and Bonn will present their current research topics under the title ?Pure Science?. The program is rounded off by poster presentations and a workshop by the young food chemists group. At her invitation, Heiner Petersen presented the so-called farm box, in which fish and tomatoes are grown under one roof. Using the example of this demo system, it is about "Future food production without collateral damage".

More information at
https://www.gdch.de/netzwerk-struktur/fachstruktur/lebensmittelchemische-gesellschaft/regionalverbaende.html

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Food Chemistry Society, whose task it is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of Food Chemistry and its related disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. For this purpose, among other things, conferences of the six regional associations are held. With around 2800 members, the Food Chemistry Society is the largest division in the GDCh. It organizes the German Food Chemists' Day every year - this year from September 16 to 18 in Dresden.

04 Paul Bunge Prize goes to Sara J. Schechner

04/19
February 21, 2019

Dr. Sara J. Schechner, Harvard University, USA, receives the Paul Bunge Prize 2019. The award ceremony will take place on March 22nd as part of the lecture conference of the GDCh division History of Chemistry in the Technical Halloren and Saline Museum in Halle (Saale). The prize of the Hans-R.-Jenemann-Stiftung is endowed with 7,500 euros and is awarded jointly by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the German Bunsen Society (DBG). It honors outstanding work on the history of scientific instruments.

Schechner receives the Paul Bunge Prize for her life's work in the history of instruments. The winner studied Physics and the history of science at Harvard and Cambridge. She was chief curator at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and curated exhibitions for the Smithsonian Institution, the American Astronomical Society, and the American Physical Society before returning to Harvard University in 2000 as curator for the Collection of Historic Scientific Instruments. The science historian specializing in material culture and the history of astronomy is also a lecturer at Harvard. Although the focus of her life's work is on astronomical instruments, with Comets, Popular Culture and The Birth of Modern Cosmology (1997) she also presented a great work on the general history of science in the early modern period. Like hardly any other curator, the award winner combines scientific excellence with broad technical expertise, connections to international networks in the history of instruments and extensive teaching experience.

The Paul Bunge Prize is considered the most important honor in the field of the history of scientific instruments worldwide and is advertised publicly and internationally. In addition to German scholars, it has also gone to British, Italian, US, Australian and Canadian scientists. The Foundation's Advisory Board, supported by the GDCh and the DBG, decides on the award.

Hans R. Jenemann (1920?1996), chemist at Schott Glaswerke in Mainz, became known for his contributions to the history of scientific devices, especially historical scales. He himself set up the foundation in 1992. The award is named after the Hamburg precision mechanic Paul Bunge (1839?1888), one of the leading designers of laboratory balances for chemical analysis.

Further information on the conference at www.gdch.de/geschichte

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It maintains numerous foundations, such as the Hans R. Jenemann Foundation. The Paul-Bunge-Preis of the Hans-R.-Jenemann-Stiftung is awarded annually, alternately at DBG general meetings and lecture conferences of the GDCh division on the History of Chemistry.

Paul-Bunge-Preisträgerin Sara J. Schechner

03 Food chemists take a close look at ice cream

03/19
19th February 2019

On March 25th and 26th, food chemists from Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will meet at the Beuth University of Applied Sciences in Berlin for their 25th workshop. The conference of the Northeast Regional Association food Chemical Society is organized. Current topics from analytics and consumer protection are on the agenda.

On the first day of the event, everything revolves around ice cream. During a virtual tour of a Berlin ice cream factory, the participants learn where dangers lurk in practice. Further lectures show what else to think about. Among other things, it is about how molds get into the ice cream and how this can be prevented. But the topic of hygiene in ice cream production is also taken up. Because when rooms are cleaned and disinfected, cleaning agent residues can get into the ice. The experts in Berlin report whether and to what extent such residues can be detected. And what nutritional effects ice licking has on the body will also be discussed at the conference . Other research areas presented include residues, nutritional recommendations and the supply of nutrients with trace elements.

This year's working conference of the Northeast Regional Association will take place for the first time together with the annual conference of the State Association of Food Chemists in the Public Service Berlin-Brandenburg e. V. instead.

More information at
www.gdch.de/netzwerk-struktur/fachstruktur/lebensmittelchemische-gesellschaft/regionalverbaende.html.

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups, including the Food Chemistry Society, whose task it is to promote the exchange of ideas in the field of Food Chemistry and its related disciplines and to provide technical suggestions. For this purpose, among other things, conferences of the six regional associations are held. With around 2800 members, the Food Chemistry Society is the largest division in the GDCh. It organizes the German Food Chemists' Day every year - this year from September 16 to 18 in Dresden.

02 "Chemistry is the key"

21st Spring Symposium of the JungChemikerForum and 2nd European Young Chemists' Meeting with awarding of the Carl Roth Prize

02/19
February 14, 2019

From 20.-23. March the 21st spring symposium of the JungChemikerForum (JCF) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) takes place in Bremen together with the European Young Chemists' Meeting (EYCheM). Around 320 young scientists come together at the University of Bremen under the motto ?The Key is Chemistry?. In addition to scientific lectures, poster sessions and workshops, the conference program also includes an industrial exhibition and a varied supporting program. A highlight is the presentation of the Carl Roth Prize to Dennis Vogelsang, Technical University of Dortmund, by GDCh President Matthias Urmann.

The JCF Spring Symposium is one of the largest conferences in Europe by and for young scientists. The event is organized annually by changing regional forums of the JungChemikerForum, the youth organization of the GDCh. In 2019, the regional JCF Bremen and Oldenburg took over the organization and created a challenging program together. This year the spring symposium will take place together with the European Young Chemists 'Meeting, the meeting of the European Young Chemists' Network. In addition to lectures by internationally renowned scientists such as Professor Dr. David A. Leigh (University of Manchester, UK), Professor David J. Cole-Hamilton (University of St. Andrews, UK), Professor Dr. Matthias Beller (Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, Rostock) and Dr. Claudia Weidenthaler (Max Planck Institute for Coal Research, Mülheim adR), especially junior group leaders and young scientists, have their say.

In two poster sessions, students and doctoral candidates from all areas of chemistry and related natural sciences have the opportunity to exchange ideas. Individual posters are presented in three-minute poster presentations. Poster and lecture award winners will be honored after being assessed by the participants. An accompanying industrial exhibition, workshops, excursions and social activities round off the conference program. In addition, the GDCh career service will have a stand on site and answer questions about starting a career and Career .

On March 21st, the Carl-Roth-Förderpreis will be awarded during the conference . The GDCh awards the award, endowed with 5000 euros, to young chemists who develop resource-conserving synthetic routes or who use chemicals in innovative ways. The prize is financed by Carl Roth GmbH & Co. KG, which will also contribute a further 3,000 euros in the form of a voucher. Dennis Vogelsang, Technical University of Dortmund, receives the award for his work on homogeneous catalysis and its selectivity. He deals with new reactor concepts for process optimization and recycling of transition metal catalysts. With his research, the award winner wants to make the industrial production of high-quality and pure products from renewable biomaterials possible.

Further information can be found at www.jcf-fruehjahrssymposium.de.

With around 31,000 members, the German Chemical Society is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It promotes scientific work, research and teaching as well as the exchange and dissemination of new scientific knowledge. The GDCh supports the creation of networks, transdisciplinary and international cooperation and continuous education and training in schools, universities and in the professional environment. The GDCh has 27 specialist groups as well as 60 local associations and regional young chemists forums at 54 university locations. The JCF forms a nationwide platform for over 10,000 young members of the GDCh.

01 Chemistry lecturer conference in Koblenz

GDCh honors outstanding scientists

01/19
February 12, 2019

The Chemistry Lecturer Conference 2019 will take place at the University of Koblenz-Landau from March 18 to 20. To this end, the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) invites university professors from the Faculties of Chemistry from Germany and neighboring countries. During the conference , the GDCh awards honorary membership to François Diederich, ETH Zurich (CH). In addition, Albrecht Berkessel, University of Cologne, received the Horst Pracejus Prize and Sandra Luber, University of Zurich (CH), the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize. In addition, the ADUC honors three young scientists.

On March 18, the GDCh awards Professor Dr. François Diederich, ETH Zurich (CH), presented her highest honor at a ceremony - honorary membership. In doing so, she recognizes Diederich's commitment to chemistry in general and his commitment to the GDCh in particular. As a long-term member (since 1974) he served the GDCh on its board (2008-2015) and as deputy president (2011/12). He also represented the GDCh in various functions, including as chairman of the evaluation group for the research rating of the Science Council, as chairman of the board of trustees of the GDCh journal Angewandte Chemie and as chairman of the presidential commission ?Perspectives in Chemistry?.

Born in Luxembourg, Diederich studied chemistry in Heidelberg, where he received his doctorate in 1979. After a postdoctoral stay at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), he took up a position as a research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg in 1981. There he completed his habilitation in 1985 and followed a call to UCLA, where he was appointed Full Professor of Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry in 1989. Since 1992 he has been a full professor of Organic Chemistry at the ETH Zurich. He is a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences, the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences (BBAW) and the Real Academia Española de Ciencias. He has received numerous awards, including the Otto Bayer Prize for Chemistry, the Humboldt Research Prize, the Burckhard Helferich Prize and the August Wilhelm von Hofmann Memorial Coin and the Adolf von Baeyer Memorial Coin of the GDCh.

Also during the festive meeting, Professor Dr. Albrecht Berkessel, University of Cologne, the Horst Pracejus Prize. The award is given to scientists for outstanding work in the field of enantioselectivity. Berkessel is recognized as one of the most internationally renowned German chemists, to which, in addition to his outstanding original publications, his monograph "Asymmetric Organocatalysis" also contributes. The selection committee describes his discovery of a titanium-catalyzed highly enantioselective epoxidation of terminal olefins and his description of the so-called Breslow intermediate as ?spectacular?.

The Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize goes to Prof. Dr. Sandra Luber, University of Zurich (CH). The award, which is endowed with 7,500 euros, supports young academics in chemistry. The 37-year-old chemist receives the award for her work in the field of theoretical Spectroscopy, both in method development and in scientifically relevant application. With her work, the award winner shows in an exemplary manner how modern theoretical chemistry can contribute to the elucidation of complex chemical phenomena.

In addition, the ADUC honors three young scientists from different fields of chemistry for the establishment of an independent research area: Dr. Lutz Greb, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, receives an ADUC Prize for his creative and unusual contributions to the chemistry of silicon compounds in ordinary valence states. Dr. Thomas-Christian Jagau, Ludwig Maximilians University, is honored for the development of coupled cluster methods for calculating electronic resonance states and strong field ionization. And Dr. Manuel van Gemmeren, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, receives the award for his brilliant ligand design for the non-directed CH-olefination of arenes.

Further information can be found at www.gdch.de/cdt2019

The German Chemical Society (GDCh), with around 31,000 members, is one of the largest chemical science societies in the world. It has 27 specialist groups and awards numerous prizes for special achievements in chemical research. Up to three junior research group leaders (post- doctoral candidates, scholarship holders or junior professors ) are honored annually by the Association of German University Professors of Chemistry (ADUC) , which is part of the GDCh, for establishing an independent research area.

Professor Dr. François Diederich
Professor Dr. Albrecht Berkessel
Professorin Dr. Sandra Luber
 

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