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Young academics from all areas of chemistry, meeting friends and well-known community members, making new connections, a great atmosphere, fruitful exchanges, perfect organization, numerous launches and awards, plenty of great food, local beer, and bright sunshine and blue skies—a bit cold though …
This year’s Chemiedozententagung (CDT2025) took place with about 300 participants from March 17–19, 2025, at TU Braunschweig, Germany. The event is held annually as a meeting of chemistry professors, giving junior professors an opportunity to present their research and engage in discussions with more senior academics. This year, for the first time in the event’s history, postdoctoral researchers had the opportunity to showcase their work and planned independent projects through short presentations.
The meeting was organized by the professors of the Department of Chemistry of TU Braunschweig under the chairmanship of Professor Thomas Lindel and the ADUC (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Universitätsprofessoren und -professorinnen für Chemie/Association of German University Professors of Chemistry), represented by Hans-Dieter Arndt from Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Founded in 1897 as an association of laboratory directors, ADUC became a working group of the GDCh (German Chemical Society) in 1999. Its responsibilities include shaping the direction of chemistry in research and academia and coordinating events such as the CDT.
Surprise Event: Angewandte Chemie Novit Launch
The first afternoon of the conference ended with a special surprise event: the launch of a new Angewandte Chemie journal. The celebration featured speeches by Stefanie Dehnen, President of the GDCh and professor at KIT Karlsruhe, Charlotte Gers-Panther, Editor-in-Chief of the new journal, and Helma Wennemers, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Angewandte Chemie and professor at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Angewandte Chemie Novit, owned by the GDCh and fully open access, aims to highlight the highest-quality research published in Angewandte Chemie. Following the launch, attendees enjoyed a large cake featuring the journal’s cover and a delicious buffet.
The event sparked excitement about the unique concept of Angewandte Chemie Novit, which many referred to as a “trailblazer”. More about the journal and its concept can be found in a ChemistryViews News, an Angewandte Chemie Editorial [1], and on the homepage of Angewandte Chemie Novit.
Figure 1. Launch of Angewandt Chemie Novit.
Top row: During the reception, Helga Wennemers (left), Stefanie Dehnen and Charlotte Gers-Panther (right).
Group picture with Angewandte Chemie Council and Editors: Frank Maaß and Nathalie Weickgenannt (Editors-in-Chief, Angewandte Chemie), Peter Schreiner (Professor, Justus Liebig University Giessen), Tom Kinzel (Managing Director, GDCh), Charlotte Gers-Panther (Editor-in-Chief, Angewandte Chemie Novit), Helga Wennemers (Professor, ETH Zurich), Katharina Landfester (Director, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research), and Stefanie Dehnen (Director, Institute of Nanotechnology, KIT).
Bottom row: Launch cake (photos © Vera Koester, Anne Brennführer, Sonja Kwiatkowskyj)
Keynote Lecture: Modernizing Physical Chemistry Lab Courses
In his inspiring keynote lecture, “Rethinking Physical Chemistry Lab Courses,” Hans-Christian Schmitt from the University of Würzburg, recipient of the Ars Legendi Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching Chemistry, shared his experiences with modern, student-friendly approaches to lab courses. His redesign of lab experiments and digitalization strategies promotes active, research-oriented learning.
Most of us have experienced structured scientific experiments in lab courses, which often lead to old protocols being plagiarized because the experiments remain unchanged. Strictly predefined procedures result in assistants repeatedly correcting the same protocols, while measurement data must first be recorded manually before being digitized. Moreover, spectrometers and other instruments are often used as black boxes, with students merely pressing a button. Additionally, students frequently have no connection to the research conducted at the institute, as the experiments are not linked to it.
Hans-Christian Schmitt is testing new learning objective assessments at his university that can be used as an alternative to the usual lab protocol. Short analysis are submitted digitally via a learning platform, where they are corrected. In discussions, the assistent discusses the evaluation and graphs with students to ensure they understand the methodology, rather than simply reproducing an old protocol. This approach helps students to develop a deeper understanding of the theoretical concepts.
At the end of the semester, each group presents one experiment in a 20-minute presentation to their peers. For many, this is their first academic presentation, allowing them to learn what makes a good presentation. Additionally, a large poster session takes place, where each group presents one experiment as a poster. Ph.D. students from the research group also present their work, providing students with insight into ongoing research in the physical chemistry department.
The best poster is selected and displayed in the lab course area, ensuring that future students can see the previous year’s winning entry. Overall, a key aspect of the learning process is receiving and providing feedback, fostering a collaborative academic culture.
In the second part of his lecture, Hans-Christian Schmitt presented ideas for making lab experiments less rigid. In addition to his innovative experiments, he will use femtoPro, a virtual-reality (VR) femtosecond laser laboratory developed by Tobias Brixner and Sebastian von Mammen at the University of Würzburg, which is available for free download [2]. Using VR goggles, students interact with optical elements on a virtual laser table, and learn to intuitively position and align mirrors, lenses, and other devices. Real-time simulations show the effects on the laser beam, enabling hands-on training similar to a real laboratory, including material dispersion and non-linear optical phenomena.
Spring Meeting GDCh Working Group Phosphorus Chemistry
The board of the AG Phosphorus Chemistry (and the higher homologues) invited attendees to their Spring Meeting, which took place just before the Chemiedozententagung (CDT). The meeting started on Sunday and concluded on Monday, just before the official CDT program began. The program was characterized by high-qu Koop Lammertsma from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), the Netherlands, delivered the Pioneers’ Lecture. He spoke about organophosphorus chemistry, particularly the P/C relationship, P₄ functionalization, Frustrated Lewis Pair chemistry, and the search for new chiral catalysts. Further keynote lectures in the fields of molecular phosphorus and arsenic chemistry, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, as well as bioinspired materials, were delivered by Peter Coburger from Technische Universität München, Shirin Hanf from KIT Karlsruhe, Jens Beckmann from Universität Bremen, Lilian Szych from Freie Universität Berlin, and Charalampos Pappas from Universität Freiburg. The Lecture Award for Young Scientists was presented to Samantha Frank from FU Berlin and Sotirios Pavlidis from HU Berlin. Christian Müller, FU Berlin |
Awards
The ADUC honors up to three habilitation candidates each year with the ADUC Award for work reported in original and significant publications. Nina Hartrampf from the University of Zurich, Switzerland (unfortunately unable to attend), John Molloy from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (MPIKG), and Johannes Wahl from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz were awarded.
Figure 2. Presentation of the ADUC Award. From left to right: Hans-Dieter Arndt (Chairperson, ADUC/University of Jena), ADUC Awardees Johannes Wahl and John Molloy (Nina Hartrampf shown in the background on the slide), and Stefanie Tschierlei and Thomas Lindel (TU Braunschweig). (photo © Oliver Lange/TU Braunschweig)
GDCh Awards
The second day began with the GDCh ceremonial session, during which the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize, worth 7,500 euros, was awarded to Christoph Kerzig from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, for “his outstanding research in the field of photochemistry. His work is characterized by highly innovative approaches to the use of light energy, particularly in the field of elucidating the mechanisms of photochemical reactions but also upconversion and photoredox catalysis.” Kerzig’s research focuses on light-driven reactions that could replace fossil raw materials, promoting more sustainable chemistry. The selection committee recognized his outstanding research, numerous high-impact publications, dedicated teaching, and support for young scientists.
Additionally, the Carl Duisberg Plaque, a gold medal, was presented to Karl Arnold Reuter from Freiburg The award honors exceptional efforts in promoting chemistry and advancing the objectives of the GDCh. Karl Arnold Reuter receives the award for his services to the promotion of scientific creativity in chemistry—in particular for his commitment and dedication to the book series Lives in Chemistry (LiC). The autobiographical series provides insights into the lives and thoughts of outstanding researchers in the mirror of time. An advisory board appointed by the Board of the GDCh Division of History of Chemistry manages the series. Reuter supports the project.
Figure 3. Presentation of the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize and Carl Duisberg Plaque.
From left to right: Christoph Kerzig and Karl Arnold Reuter receiving their awards from GDCh President Stefanie Dehnen. (photos © Oliver Lange/TU Braunschweig)
ADUC Lecture Award
During the conference, attendees had the opportunity to vote for the ADUC Lecture Award winner. In the closing session, three winners were honored, one from each parallel session:
Session A: The award for the best presentation in this session went to Jake L. Greenfield from Würzburg for his talk on “Driving Transmination Reactions Uphill with Imine photoswitches”.
Session B: Schirin Hanf from Karlsruhe was recognized for her talk on “Short-bite angle hybrid ligands and their transition metal complexes—towards photo-optical and catalytic applications.”
Session C: Anna Krawczuk from Göttingen was awarded for her presentation on “Functionalization of t-conjugated solid-state photoluminescent materials.”
Figure 4. Presentation of the ADUC Lecture Awards.
From left to right: Jake L. Greenfield, Shirin Hanf, and Anna Krawczuk receiving their awards from ADUC Chairperson Hans-Dieter Arndt. (photos © Oliver Lange/TU Braunschweig)
Workshops
At the event, participants had the opportunity to attend workshops covering various topics. These included scientific publishing, where editors from Angewandte Chemie, Frank Maass, Nathalie Weickgenannt, and Suzanne Tobey, as well as Haymo Ross from Chemistry Europe offered insights into the publishing process.
They showed a few slides on selected topics, such as, for example, peer review and AI in publishing, and gave a brief introduction to each slide, and then asked for questions. The idea was to move from a classical presentation to a format that allows for interaction with the audience—a bit of a hybrid between a podium discussion and a presentation. The audience of around 50 participants was very engaged and interested.
Additionally, workshops hosted by NFDI4Chem focused on chemistry data, highlighting advances in data management and digitization. Another workshop, hosted by DHV (Deutscher Hochschulverband/German University Association), provided guidance on applying for academic positions.
Figure 5. During the workshop; from left to right: Suzanne Tobey, Haymo Ross, Frank Maass, and Nathalie Weickgenannt. (photos © Vera Koester/Wiley)
Founding: GDCh Working Group on Supramolecular Chemistry
The GDCh Working Group on Supramolecular Chemistry was founded at the event. Supramolecular chemistry is an interdisciplinary research field that spans organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry, as well as life and materials science. The group aims to bring together experts from diverse fields to promote research in supramolecular chemistry, a discipline with significant historical contributions in Germany, such as Karl Lother Wolf’s “Übermoleküle” (1937) [3] and Fritz Vögtle’s dendrimers (1978) [4].
The initiative was sparked by the SupraChem conference in Ulm in 2024 and the founding members are: Pol Besenius, Makromol. Chemie Uni Mainz, Guido Clever, Anorganische Chemie TU Dortmund, Larissa von Krbek, Anorganische Chemie Uni Bonn, Anna McConnell, Organische Chemie Uni Siegen, Babis Pappas, Bio-Makromol. Chemie Uni Freiburg, Angela Casini, Anorganische Chemie TU München, Max von Delius, Organische Chemie Uni Ulm, Michael Mastalerz, Organische Chemie Uni Heidelberg, Jochen Niemeyer, Organische Chemie Uni Duisburg-Essen, Frank Würthner, Organische Chemie Uni Würzburg.
The working group is focused on increasing membership and visibility, with plans to connect with European sister groups like the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and Société Chimique de France (SCF). Key actions for 2025 and 2026 include networking, supporting the next generation of supramolecular chemists, promoting the application of supramolecular research in industry, setting up a research award, and developing working guidelines. The group is now collecting members (Go to www.gdch.de/suprachem to join), and in December, an election will be held and guidelines will be discussed. In 2026, they will host the SupraChem Conference at TU Dortmund University.
Social Evening at the Historic Dornse
The social evening was held in the festive and historic Dornse, once the heated room of the Old Town Hall. With a population of around 250,000, Braunschweig is the second-largest city in Lower Saxony, after Hanover. The Old Town Hall is one of the most important medieval town halls in Germany, with its oldest structures dating back to the 13th century. It was once the meeting place for the Old Town Council, and the grand Dornse was also used for festive events.
It was in this magnificent historical setting that the social evening took place, with a delicious buffet under massive chandeliers and impressive wall-carpets, making for a memorable experience in a great atmosphere.
Figure 6. Dinner in the historic Dornse—grand chandeliers, ceiling paintings, and view from the balcony. (photos © Vera Koester)
News
Stefanie Tschierlei from TU Braunschweig was elected as the new chairperson of ADUC for the next two years. She succseeds Hans-Dieter Arndt from Friedrich-Schiller University at Jena.
Looking ahead, the next Chemiedozententagung in 2026 will take place from March 2 to 4, 2026, on the Campus Essen of the Universität Duisburg-Essen. An appetizer was presented by Sebastian Schlücker, and hopefully we all meet again next year in the heart of the Ruhrgebiet.
Snapshots
Figure 7. Snapshots from the conference.
Photos arranged from top left to bottom right: © Vera Koester/Wiley (1, 3, 5, 6, 12), © Sonja Kwiatkowskyj/Wiley (2, 11), © Oliver Lange/TU Braunschweig (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13).
Figure 8. Group picture of the conferece. (photo © Oliver Lange/TU Braunschweig)
References
[1] Charlotte Gers-Panther, Frank Maaß, Nathalie Weickgenannt, Angewandte Chemie Novit – Elevating Top-Tier Chemistry Research, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202503680
[2] T. Brixner, S. Mueller, A. Müller, A. Knote, W. Schnepp, S. Truman, A. Vetter, S. von Mammen, femtoPro: virtual-reality interactive training simulator of an ultrafast laser laboratory, Appl. Phys. B 2023, 129, 78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-023-08018-7
[3] K. L. Wolf, H. Frahm, H. Harms, Z. Phys, Abt B 1937, 36, 237–287.
[4] E. Buhleier, W. Wehner, F. Vogtle, “Cascade”- and “Nonskid-Chain-like” Syntheses of Molecular Cavity Topologies, Synthesis 1978, 2, 155–158. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-1978-24702
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