Professor Dr. Frank Würthner is a distinguished scholar and pioneering figure in the field of supramolecular materials science at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg. He currently holds the position of Professor of Organic Chemistry II and serves as Director of the Center for Nanosystem Chemistry, which he founded in 2010 to advance interdisciplinary research at the chemistry-materials science interface. After completing his chemistry studies at the University of Stuttgart, where he earned his PhD in 1993 under Franz Effenberger with research on donor-acceptor substituted oligothiophenes, he pursued postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Julius Rebek as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellow. His career path included significant industry experience at BASF in Ludwigshafen researching functional dyes for non-impact printing and electroluminescence, followed by habilitation at the University of Ulm before assuming his current professorship at Würzburg in 2002.
Professor Würthner's groundbreaking research has fundamentally transformed the understanding of molecular self-assembly processes and their application in developing advanced functional materials with precisely engineered optoelectronic properties. His seminal work on perylene bisimide aggregates, merocyanine dye systems, and supramolecular architectures has established critical structure-property relationships that guide the rational design of organic semiconductors for photovoltaic and light-harvesting applications. By pioneering methodologies for the controlled self-assembly of π-conjugated molecules into nanoscale architectures, he has enabled significant advances in organic electronics, including the development of novel chromophores for nonlinear optical applications and bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells based on dye aggregates. His research program has yielded numerous high-impact publications, patents, and influential methodologies that continue to shape the trajectory of supramolecular materials science globally.
As a leader in the international chemistry community, Professor Würthner has directed major research initiatives including the International Research Training Group 2991 on photoluminescent supramolecular materials in collaboration with IISER Thiruvananthapuram, fostering cutting-edge research across international boundaries. His scientific contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors including the Otto Röhm-Gedächtnispreis in 2000, the Arnold-Sommerfeld-Preis from the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in 2002, and multiple ERC Advanced Grants for his innovative research in nanosystem chemistry. Currently serving as a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and directing extensive research on boron-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, he continues to push the boundaries of functional dye chemistry with implications for sustainable energy technologies. Professor Würthner remains actively engaged in mentoring the next generation of scientists while advancing the frontiers of supramolecular chemistry through his internationally recognized research group at Würzburg.
