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Roland Jan-Reiner Bednarz, PhD candidate in the Waldvogel group, was awarded the 1^st price at the EnergyCampus 2023 by the Stiftung Energie & Klimaschutz. Every year, they organize an idea competition on innovative research for the energy transition. Roland’s research “Large-scale electrochemical adipic acid derivative production” focusses on the electrification of technical organic synthesis; in short, fascinating chemistry that enables the production of nylon-like products from wood-derived molecules in a climate-friendly & safe process. Surprisingly, the electricity can come entirely from renewable sources without compromising the yield. This can ensure, for example, grid stability! If you are interested in more details, you can find his presentation in the form of a Science-Poetry-Slam under the following link:

Video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/roland-bednarz-0728ba165_doktorarbeit-klimaschutz-activity-7132719606611238912-yuFT?utm_source=share

The ISSM 2023 took place at the Johannes Gutenberg University on October 17^th and 18^th. International experts from India, Thailand, Canada, UK, France, Switzerland and Germany participated.

Weiterlesen "International Shellac Symposium in Mainz (ISSM) 2023"

Prof. Dr. Siegfried R. Waldvogel, Professor at the Department of Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and spokesperson of its Top-level Research Area "SusInnoScience" (Sustainable Chemistry as the Key to Innovation in Resource-efficient Science in the Anthropocene) and the BMBF Future Cluster ETOS (Electrification of Technical Organic Syntheses) was honored yesterday by the Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, for founding his company ESy-Labs GmbH. At a ceremony in Berlin, Stark-Watzinger awarded him the title "UNIPRENEUR" of the initiative UNIPRENEURS. This is under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, cooperates with the Donors' Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany and has the task of promoting entrepreneurship at German universities. "We want to strengthen the start-up scene at our universities. Professors play a central role in this. They make a significant contribution to the start-up culture at universities and are important drivers of Germany's innovative strength and future viability," says Stark-Watzinger. Prof. Dr. Siegfried R. Waldvogel is one of 20 professors who were honored yesterday as "UNIPRENEUR". Previously, 700 candidates had been nominated by company founders. The certificate is signed by Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Minister of Education and Research, and Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection, each as patron.

The Award

The UNIPRENEURS award is based on the voice of the founders, because only they can finally judge the quality of inspiration and support provided by the professors. The most advanced 5,502 founders in Germany from the commercial register were identified and contacted. In addition, together with the 20 best venture capital investors and 20 most successful founders, a large-scale campaign with more than 500,000 contacts was run over 6 weeks in April and May of this year. As a result, nearly 700 nominations were received from founders. These were then deliberated by a renowned board of trustees with the participation of Achim Berg (former President, Bitkom & Operating Partner, General Atlantic), Andrea Frank (Deputy Secretary General and Member of the Executive Board of the Stifterverband), Dr. Alexander von Frankenberg (Managing Director of High-Tech Gründerfonds), Prof. Dr. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla (Chairwoman of the Board of the German Aerospace Center) and Mr. Hilpert, and the 20 winners were decided.

"We congratulate Siegfried Waldvogel on his award as a company founder and wish him every success with ESy-Labs," says JGU President Prof. Dr. Georg Krausch. "The award illustrates the excellent work being done in our SusInnoScience profile area and highlights JGU's research strength in sustainable chemistry."

Electrosynthesis as a future technology

Based on his research at JGU, Waldvogel founded ESy-Labs in 2018 together with Dr. Tobias Gärtner from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology. The company specializes in the application of electrosynthesis for the production of organic and inorganic raw materials required by the pharmaceutical or chemical industries. "The advantages of electrosynthesis are that electric current replaces chemical reagents, which are expensive and usually generate toxic waste. In addition, electricity from renewable sources can be used for this purpose," Waldvogel says. "This makes electrosynthesis a technology of the future that will become dramatically more important in the coming years due to climate change." However, he says, there is still a gap between laboratory application and industrial use, i.e., the production of raw materials in quantities of several grams and of several tons. ESy-Labs aims to close this gap between academic and industrial research by dedicating itself to process development and custom electrosynthesis. An important aspect of this is the conversion of waste streams into value products, for example the recovery of zinc from fly ash. The company is located in Regensburg and Gernsheim and now has more than ten employees.

On June 14 and 15, 2023, the 10^th German-Japanese Symposium on Electrosynthesis (GJSE) occurred at Keio University in Yokohama, Japan. The Japanese committee consisting of Prof. Dr. Mahito Atobe (Yokohama National University), Prof. Dr. Takashi Yamamoto (Keio University), and Prof. Dr. Naoki Shida, co-chair (Yokohama National University), invited the German electrosynthesis community.

Weiterlesen "ETOS goes international! Five PIs of the BMBF-Zukunftscluster ETOS participate in GJSE in Yokohama."

In a video report, the TV station SWR highlighted the work of Michael Zirbes on the degradation of kraft lignin using peroxodicarbonate. The oxidizing agent peroxodicarbonate is obtained by electrolysis of aqueous carbonate solutions; no toxic or hazardous waste is produced in the process. In relation to the amount of kraft lignin used, up to 6.2 percent by weight of vanilin can be obtained.

Video: https://www.swr.de/wissen/so-kann-das-vanillearoma-vanillin-nachhaltiger-aus-holz-hergestellt-werden-100.html

Broadcast live on 21.03: https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/swr-aktuell-rheinland-pfalz/sendung-18-00-uhr-vom-21-3-2023/

M. Zirbes, T. Graßl, R. Neuber, S. R. Waldvogel, Peroxodicarbonate as a Green Oxidizer for the Selective Degradation of Kraft Lignin into Vanillin, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202219217 published online 31.01.2023. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.202219217] M. Zirbes, T. Graßl, R. Neuber, S. R. Waldvogel, Peroxodicarbonate as a Green Oxidizer for the Selective Degradation of Kraft Lignin into Vanillin, Angew. Chem. 2023, e202219217 published online 31.01.2023.
[DOI: 10.1002/ange.202219217]

Prof. S. R. Waldvogel received the Sigma-Aldrich Chemistry Lectureship Award 2022.

New Halocycles project aims to develop a halogen recovery technique contributing to the stabilization of the power grid and the defossilization of the future industrial society.

Increasing the recovery of valuable fossil raw materials, avoiding climate-damaging carbon dioxide emission, and stabilizing our energy supply network – these are the three major objectives of a new joint research project of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and TU Kaiserslautern. With their pioneering concept, the two partners convinced the Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS) to fund their project in its CZS Breakthroughs program with around EUR 4 million over the next six years. In the new Halocycles project, the researchers aim to develop an electrochemical technique to recover halogens – such as bromine, chlorine, and fluorine – from waste products. The carbon structure present in halogen compounds will be preserved in the process, thus preventing the corresponding emissions, while the flexibility of the technique will help contribute to the stabilizing of power grids.

Weiterlesen "Sustainable recycling using electrochemistry: Carl Zeiss Foundation supports new research project"

We have made it! After a little more than 1 ½ years of conception and application phase, ETOS - Electrifying Technical Organic Syntheses was selected as one of seven Clusters4Future.

In a two-stage application process, JGU Mainz and KIT, headed by Prof. Dr. S. R. Waldvogel and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulrike Krewer, prevailed against 117 other applicants. The cluster will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for up to nine years with a maximum of 45 million euros. In 2023, the first of up to three implementation phases will start.

Weiterlesen "ETOS Project among the Winners of Clusters4Future"

The Waldvogel Group will present its work at ACHEMA 2022. You will find us at the official booth of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. On display will be exhibits on electrifying organic synthesis and resource-efficient chemistry. We look forward to seeing you there!

Since 2005, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate has awarded the state teaching prize every two years in recognition of excellent teaching. With this year's award Birgit Janza was honoured for her outstanding achievements in teaching.