Welcome to Department General, Analytical and Physical Chemistry
Montanuniversität Leoben teaches and researches future topics along the value chain with a special focus on the core topics of advanced resources, smart materials and sustainable processing. Chemistry has always played an important role in all of these areas. This is also reflected in the fact that chemistry, alongside physics, mathematics, mechanics and computer science, is one of the pillars of basic education in all fields of study at the Montanuniversität and numerous special courses at bachelor's, master's and doctoral level are offered in the field of chemistry.
Today, the chemistry department of the MUL conducts internationally visible basic and application-oriented research at the highest level with universities, research institutions and industrial partners as strategic partners. The topics in the research focus are based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) raw material requirements, energy requirements, mobility, digitization, climate and environment as well as health and well-being. Chemistry at Montanuniversität is now successfully anchored in three chairs, with a focus on general and analytical chemistry, physical chemistry (both in the department of general, analytical and physical chemistry) and chemistry of plastics (department of plastics technology).
Chair of General and Analytical Chemistry
(Head AAC: Thomas Prohaska)
The main research areas are divided into interlinked areas with four main areas: spectroscopy/element analysis, isotope analysis, chemical and physical changes in materials (corrosion), technological developments and metrology.
Based on metrological principles, analytical and technological concepts for questions in the material, geo, environmental and life sciences are developed, validated and implemented. The main focus of the analytical methods is on element and iotope analysis. Materials science research focuses on fundamental and applied questions in the field of corrosion and changes in materials as a material reacts to its environment. Novel technological developments of methods in the combination of analytical chemistry and materials science complement the research portfolio of the chair.
Chair of Physical Chemistry
(Head: Christoph Rameshan)
Research at the Chair of Physical Chemistry is closely linked with the focus on renewable energies and combines expertise in the fields of materials chemistry and solid-state electrochemistry.
In October 2022, Christoph Rameshan took over the chair of Physical Chemistry. With his appointment as professor for electrochemical energy conversion, the chair was even more focused on the topic of renewable energies and chemical energy storage and conversion. The chair's many years of expertise in the field of electrochemistry and high-temperature fuel cells is now supplemented by additional know-how in the field of (electro)catalysis and in-situ surface spectroscopy.