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Room: 3'104
Phone: +49 30 2093 82652
Email: shhu-berlin.de
Prof. Stefan Hecht, Ph.D.
Stefan grew up in Berlin and studied chemistry at Humboldt University, where he investigated chemiluminescence and photocatalysis in the group of Jürgen Bendig. After his diploma work on photochemical rearrangements with the late William G. Dauben he stayed at the University of California, Berkeley, and carried out his doctoral research with Jean M. J. Fréchet in the area of dendritic macromolecules.
After his graduation in 2001, Stefan started his independent research group at Free University of Berlin and subsequently the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim/Ruhr before accepting a call to Humboldt University, where he was full professor from 2006 until 2019. From the summer of 2019 until the end of 2022, he has served as the Scientific Director of the DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials and held the Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University before returning to his alma mater as Einstein Professor and Founding Director of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin.
Stefan’s research interests range from synthetic macro/supramolecular chemistry to surface science with particular focus on developing photoswitchable molecules to remote-control materials, devices, and manufacturing as well as physical, chemical, and biological processes. Together with Martin Regehly and Dirk Radzinski he cofounded xolo GmbH to further develop and commercialize xolography as a new volumetric 3D printing technology.
Professional Experience
| Oct 2022- | Einstein Professor Head of the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry and Functional Materials & Founding Director of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany |
| 2019 - 2022 | Scientific Director of DWI - Leibniz Institut for Interactive Materials & Full Professor (W3) and Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry at RWTH Aachen University, Germany |
| 2006 - 2019 | Full Professor (W3) and Chair of Organic Chemistry & Functional Materials Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany |
| 2005 - 2006 | Associate Professor (Group Leader) in Organic Polymer and Materials Chemistry Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany Lecturer at the Universität Dortmund, Germany |
| 2001 - 2004 | Assistant Professor (Young Investigator) in Organic Polymer and Materials Chemistry Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Habilitation June 2006 |
| 1997 - 2001 | Doctoral research in Organic Polymer Chemistry at University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A. Thesis Advisor: Prof. Jean M. J. Fréchet |
| 1992 - 1997 | Diplom studies and research in Organic Photochemistry Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, and University of California, Berkeley, U.S.A. Thesis Advisor: Prof. William G. Dauben (UC Berkeley, 09/1995 - 09/1996) Mentor: Prof. Jürgen Bendig (HU Berlin) |
Honors and Distinctions
Professional Functions
Associate Editor of The Journal of Organic Chemistry
Editorial Board Member of Advanced Science
Member of the Board of the Danish National Research Foundation
Member of the Selection Committee for Humboldt Research Fellowships by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Joachim Herz Foundation
Member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Helmholtz Center Berlin
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the MPI for Microstructure Physics
Member of the Executive Board of Humboldt-Universitäts-Gesellschaft
Scientific Affiliations
Elected Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc)
Elected Member of National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech)
Elected Member of Academia Europaea (AE)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Member of the American Chemical Society (ACS)
Member of the German Chemical Society (GDCh)
Member of the European Photochemistry Association (EPA)
Member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Association for Polymer Research (BVP)