Professor Thomas Fässler, Technical University of Munich, Germany, has been awarded the Arfvedson Schlenk Prize by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCH, German Chemical Society).

The prize, sponsored by Albemarle Germany GmbH, is endowed with EUR 7,500 and honors scientists for outstanding work in the field of lithium chemistry. Fässler received the award for his outstanding contributions to lithium-rich intermetallic compounds that could contribute to efficient and safe high-performance lithium batteries in the future. The award was presented at the GDCh-Wissenschaftsforum Chemie (WiFo 2023) in Leipzig, Germany on September 4, 2023. 

 

Research

Thomas Fässler’s research deals with the synthesis, characterization, and theoretical description of materials based on inorganic solids and molecular compounds. Starting with substance classes of intermetallic compounds and Zintl phases with soluble Zintl ions, he investigates novel main-group element-based materials at the transition from molecular compounds to solids. The investigated material classes have potential applications in the areas of energy storage and energy conversion materials as well as solar cells and superconductors as well as catalysts.

Fässler has made important contributions to the field of Zintl phases, in particular to lithium-rich intermetallic compounds. These innovative materials could be of great use as solid-state ion conductors for safe, high-performance lithium batteries.

 

Career

Thomas Fässler studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and received his Ph.D. in organometallic chemistry from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, under the supervision of G. Huttner in 1988.  After a post-doctoral stay at the University of Chicago, IL, USA, he completed his habilitation at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich. In 2000, he became Full Professor of Chemistry at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany. Since 2003, Fässler has served as Full Professor of Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich.

 

Selected Publications

• Mechanism of Li-Ion Migration in the Superionic Conducting Open-Framework Structure Li₆B₁₈(Li₃N)_1–x(Li₂O)_x (0 ≤ _x ≤ 1),
  Robert J. Spranger, Holger Kirchhain, Tassilo M. F. Restle, Jasmin V. Dums, Antti J. Karttunen, Leo van Wüllen, Thomas F. Fässler,
  J. Phys. Chem. C 2023, 127, 1622–1632.
  https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c06839
• Ca₁₄FeAs₁₁ – A structure comprising structural motifs of iron‐based superconductors and Ca‐As Zintl phases,
  Andrea V. Hoffmann, Thomas F. Fässler, Viktor Hlukhyy,
  Z. anorg. allg. Chem. 2022.
  https://doi.org/10.1002/zaac.202200168
• Super‐Ionic Conductivity in ω‐Li₉TrP₄ (Tr = Al, Ga, In) and Lithium Diffusion Pathways in Li₉AlP₄ Polymorphs,
  Tassilo M. F. Restle, Stefan Strangmüller, Volodymyr Baran, Anatoliy Senyshyn, Holger Kirchhain, Wilhelm Klein, Samuel Merk, David Müller, Tobias Kutsch, Leo van Wüllen, Thomas F. Fässler,
  Adv. Funct. Mater. 2022.
  https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202112377
• Slicing Diamond-A Guide to Deriving sp³-Si Allotropes,
  Laura-Alice Jantke, Saskia Stegmaier, Antti J. Karttunen, Thomas F. Fässler,
  Chem. Eur. J.2017, 23, 2734–2747.
  https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201603406
• Structural Principles of Semiconducting Group 14 Clathrate Frameworks,
  Antti J. Karttunen, Thomas F. F�ssler, Mikko Linnolahti, Tapani A. Pakkanen,
  Inorg. Chem. 2010, 50, 1733–1742.
  https://doi.org/10.1021/ic102178d
• The Zintl Ion [Pb₁₀]²⁻: A Rare Example of a Homoatomiccloso Cluster,
  Annette Spiekermann, Stephan D. Hoffmann, Thomas F. Fässler,
  Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 3459–3462.
  https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200503916

 

Also of Interest

Clare P. Grey Receives Arfvedson–Schlenk Prize,
ChemistryViews 2015.
UK researcher honored for achievements in the area of lithium chemistry

Wilhelm Klemm Prize for Thomas Fässler,
ChemistryViews 2015.
Inorganic chemistry prize awarded to researcher from Munich, Germany