Professor Detlef Werner Bahnemann is a distinguished leader in the field of photochemistry and nanomaterials science, currently serving as Director of the Joint International Center for Nature Inspired Carbon Neutrality Solutions at Saint Petersburg State University. Born in Berlin in 1953, he earned his PhD in Chemistry from the Technical University Berlin in 1981 with honors and completed his Habilitation in Technical Chemistry at Leibniz University Hannover in 2012. Following a distinguished career at the Institute of Technical Chemistry at Leibniz University Hannover where he led the Photocatalysis and Nanotechnology Research Unit until his retirement at the end of 2021, he has maintained a significant international presence through multiple prestigious appointments across Europe and Asia. His academic journey includes supernumerary professorship at Leibniz University Hannover since 2014 and distinguished professorship at Shaanxi University of Science & Technology in China.
Professor Bahnemann's groundbreaking research focuses on solar energy transformations, photoelectrochemistry, and heterogeneous photocatalysis, with particular emphasis on developing innovative photoactive nanomaterials for energy applications. His scholarly output comprises over 600 refereed publications with more than 86,000 citations according to Google Scholar, yielding an impressive h-index of 121 that places him among the top 20 physical chemists globally as identified by Stanford University rankings. His laboratory at Saint Petersburg State University, established in 2014 through a Russian government mega-grant, has pioneered advancements in nanocomposite materials that significantly enhance the efficiency of solar energy conversion and storage devices. These materials have found critical applications in UV protection systems and antimicrobial technologies with substantial practical implications for environmental sustainability.
As a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences and Member of the Academia Europaea, Professor Bahnemann has received numerous prestigious recognitions including the Medal 'To the Memory of Academician N. M. Emanuel' from the Russian Academy of Sciences. He continues to shape the global research agenda through his leadership of the interdisciplinary Laboratory of Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials, which serves as a technological and educational hub for fundamental and applied research in photostimulated processes. His current work on nature-inspired carbon neutrality solutions represents the cutting edge of sustainable energy research, integrating nanotechnology with environmental science to address pressing global challenges. Professor Bahnemann remains an active contributor to the scientific community as a Visiting Scholar at Queen's University Belfast and through his extensive editorial contributions to seven scientific books in his field.
