In the Faculties of Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering, energy-related research topics are diverse and include investigations into elementary energy transfer processes with ultra-high temporal and spatial resolution (in the collaborative research center "SFB 616", reaction rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions in shock tubes, and  laser diagnostics in flames and engines. Individual processes are examined through the lenses of theoretical physics and chemistry and incorporated into multi-scale simulation approaches for the exploration of reactive flows in collaboration with the Center for Computational Sciences and Simulation (CCSS). Electrocatalytic processes play a central role in research conducted at the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT).
 
The detailed understanding of reaction processes is utilized in the targeted synthesis of functional materials at the NanoEnergieTechnikZentrum (NETZ), where materials for energy applications, such as fuel cells, thermoelectrics, batteries, and photovoltaics are developed. A variety of methods for materials characterization is provided by the Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN), and procedures are available for the investigation of the electrical strength of materials.

Elementary processes for the reduction of pollutant formation, emission control, filtration, and carbon dioxide capture are being investigated in laboratories across the university and transferred into applications by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology (IUTA).