ZMB Member Kai S. Exner
ZMB Member
Kai S. Exner
Next ZMB-Member
Prof. Dr. Kai S. Exner
Faculty of Chemistry
University of Duisburg-Essen
Universitätsstr. 2
45141 Essen
- +49 201 183 2992
- Website
- Press Releases
- Selected Publications
- Publication Metrics
- ZMB Research Program
Molecular and Chemical Cell Biology
Research Overview
- Drug delivery
- Functional nanoparticles
- Doxorubicin
- Multi-scale modeling
Press Releases


Oxygen and chlorine evolution without noble metals Electrode potential transforms surfaces
[17.12.2024]
They are highly selective and can be easily separated from the reaction mixture: single-atom catalysts combine the advantages of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Until now, their production has generally been associated with precious metals that are anchored to a solid substrate. Researchers led by the University of Duisburg-Essen have now shown that such structures can also be formed electrochemically – independently and without noble metals. Their findings, published in the scientific journal JACS*, open up new avenues for a simpler, more sustainable production of catalytically active materials.
ZMB Member: Prof. Dr. Kai Exner


Gottschalk-Diederich-Baedeker-Preis für Kai S. Exner Grundlagen der Energiewende
[24.10.2024]
Seine Grundlagenforschung zu Elektrokatalysatoren trägt wesentlich dazu bei, die Energiewende voranzubringen: Der Theoretische Chemiker Prof. Dr. Kai S. Exner der Universität Duisburg-Essen wird in diesem Jahr mit dem Gottschalk-Diederich-Baedeker-Preis ausgezeichnet. Essens Oberbürgermeister Thomas Kufen überreichte den mit 5.000 Euro dotierten Preis.
„Die Verleihung stellt eine große Anerkennung meiner Forschung dar und unterstreicht die Bedeutung theoretischer Grundlagenforschung für die Energiewende“, sagt Exner, der als erster Theoretischer Elektrochemiker mit der seit 1984 verliehenen Auszeichnung geehrt wurde.
Selected Publications
-
CCooperative Active Sites on Ag2Pt3TiS6 for Enhanced Low-Temperature Ammonia Fuel Cell ElectrocatalysisIn: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 64 (2025) Nr. 6, e202418691 in pressOnline Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Conventional versus Unconventional Oxygen Reduction Reaction Intermediates on Single Atom CatalystsIn: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Vol. 17 (2025) Nr. 4, pp. 6450 - 6459Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Design Criteria for Active and Selective Catalysts in the Nitrogen Oxidation ReactionIn: ACS Physical Chemistry Au Vol. 5 (2025) Nr. 1, pp. 38 - 46Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Four Generations of Volcano Plots for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction : Beyond Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Steps?In: Accounts of Chemical Research Vol. 57 (2024) Nr. 9, pp. 1336 - 1345Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Why efficient bifunctional hydrogen electrocatalysis requires a change in the reaction mechanismIn: iScience Vol. 27 (2024) Nr. 2, 108848Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Importance of broken geometric symmetry of single-atom Pt sites for efficient electrocatalysisIn: Nature Communications Vol. 14 (2023) Nr. 1, 3233Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Importance of the Walden Inversion for the Activity Volcano Plot of Oxygen EvolutionIn: Advanced Science Vol. 10 (2023) Nr. 36, 2305505Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ Online Full Text (Open Access)
-
Materials Screening by the Descriptor Gmₐₓ(η) : The Free-Energy Span Model in ElectrocatalysisIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 13 (2023) Nr. 3, pp. 1740 - 1758Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
On the mechanistic complexity of oxygen evolution : potential-dependent switching of the mechanism at the volcano apexIn: Materials Horizons Vol. 10 (2023) Nr. 6, 2086Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Photomechanical Laser Fragmentation of IrO₂ Microparticles for the Synthesis of Active and Redox-Sensitive Colloidal NanoclustersIn: Small Vol. 19 (2023) Nr. 10, 2206485Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Steering Selectivity in the Four-Electron and Two-Electron Oxygen Reduction Reactions : On the Importance of the Volcano SlopeIn: ACS Physical Chemistry Au Vol. 3 (2023) Nr. 2, pp. 190 - 198Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
General Efficacy of Atomically Dispersed Pt Catalysts for the Chlorine Evolution Reaction : Potential-Dependent Switching of the Kinetics and MechanismIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 11 (2021) Nr. 19, pp. 12232 - 12246Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
The electrochemical-step asymmetry indexIn: MethodsX Vol. 8 (2021) 101590Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
A Universal Descriptor for the Screening of Electrode Materials for Multiple-Electron Processes : Beyond the Thermodynamic OverpotentialIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 10 (2020) Nr. 21, pp. 12607 - 12617Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Does a Thermoneutral Electrocatalyst Correspond to the Apex of a Volcano Plot for a Simple Two-Electron Process?In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 59 (2020) Nr. 26, pp. 10236 - 10240Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/ (Open Access)
-
Recent Progress in the Development of Screening Methods to Identify Electrode Materials for the Oxygen Evolution ReactionIn: Advanced Functional Materials Vol. 30 (2020) Nr. 42, 2005060Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Beyond the Rate-Determining Step in the Oxygen Evolution Reaction over a Single-Crystalline IrO₂(110) Model Electrode : Kinetic Scaling RelationsIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 9 (2019) Nr. 8, pp. 6755 - 6765Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Is Thermodynamics a Good Descriptor for the Activity? : Re-Investigation of Sabatier's Principle by the Free Energy Diagram in ElectrocatalysisIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 9 (2019) Nr. 6, pp. 5320 - 5329Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Recent Advancements Towards Closing the Gap between Electrocatalysis and Battery Science Communities : The Computational Lithium Electrode and Activity–Stability Volcano PlotsIn: ChemSusChem Vol. 12 (2019) Nr. 11, pp. 2330 - 2344Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
A Universal Approach to Determine the Free Energy Diagram of an Electrocatalytic ReactionIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 8 (2018) Nr. 3, pp. 1864 - 1879Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Kinetics of Electrocatalytic Reactions from First-Principles : A Critical Comparison with the Ab Initio Thermodynamics ApproachIn: Accounts of Chemical Research Vol. 50 (2017) Nr. 5, pp. 1240 - 1247Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Temperature-Dependent Kinetic Studies of the Chlorine Evolution Reaction over RuO₂(110) Model ElectrodesIn: ACS Catalysis Vol. 7 (2017) Nr. 4, pp. 2403 - 2411Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Full Kinetics from First Principles of the Chlorine Evolution Reaction over a RuO₂(110) Model ElectrodeIn: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 55 (2016) Nr. 26, pp. 7501 - 7504Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/
-
Controlling selectivity in the chlorine evolution reaction over RuO₂-based catalystsIn: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 53 (2014) Nr. 41, pp. 11032 - 11035Online Full Text: dx.doi.org/