Professor Stefan Hecht stands as a preeminent figure in the field of organic chemistry and functional materials science, currently holding the distinguished position of Einstein Professor at Humboldt University of Berlin while serving as Founding Director of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin. Born in East Berlin in 1974, his fascination with light and chemistry emerged early, evidenced by his 1991 victory in the state competition Jugend Forscht with research on bioluminescence. He completed his foundational studies in chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin from 1992 to 1997, followed by doctoral research at the University of California Berkeley under the guidance of Professor Jean M J Fréchet, where he specialized in dendritic macromolecules. His independent research career began by establishing his own research group at the Free University of Berlin after returning to Germany in 2001, and subsequently establishing an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim/Ruhr before advancing to full professor at Humboldt University from 2006 to 2019, and subsequently serving as Scientific Director of the DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials at RWTH Aachen University from 2019 to 2022. Professor Hecht's return to Humboldt University as Einstein Professor marks the culmination of a distinguished career dedicated to advancing the frontiers of molecular design and materials innovation.
Professor Hecht's pioneering research program has fundamentally transformed the field of light responsive materials through the strategic design of photoswitchable molecular systems that enable unprecedented external control of material properties. His laboratory has made seminal contributions to photochromism including the development of ortho fluoroazobenzenes as visible light switchable molecular units, highly fatigue resistant diarylethenes, and innovative photoswitches based on acylhydrazones and indigos that operate with single NIR photon switching. Most significantly, Professor Hecht co invented xolography with Martin Regehly, a revolutionary volumetric 3D printing technology that enables the rapid manufacturing of complex objects directly in volume with high precision and superior material quality. This transformative innovation, capable of producing entire systems with homogeneous material and smooth surfaces, represents a paradigm shift in additive manufacturing with potentially disruptive applications across multiple industries. Professor Hecht and his collaborators have further commercialized this technology through the founding of xolo GmbH, demonstrating the practical impact of fundamental scientific discovery.
As Founding Director of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin, Professor Hecht leads an interdisciplinary research collective dedicated to creating advanced functional materials from precisely engineered molecular building blocks with programmable responses to external stimuli. His current research initiatives focus on solar recycling of polymers, opto biology, optical bio computing, and volumetric 3D 4D printing, all directed toward addressing critical challenges in sustainability and advanced manufacturing. In addition to his research leadership, Professor Hecht has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Organic Chemistry since 2018 and provides guidance to numerous academic institutions, funding agencies, and scientific journals through his advisory roles. Professor Hecht continues to pioneer new frontiers at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, and engineering, with his work on light responsive molecular systems poised to drive significant advancements in smart materials, sustainable manufacturing, and biomedical applications for years to come.
