Prof Frieder Mugele has received the Syensqo Award (formerly the Solvay Award) from the European Colloid and Interface Society (ECIS). This award, given since 2001, honours European scientists each year for exceptional research within colloid and interface sciences. This year, Prof Mugele was awarded for his innovative work on interactions between small particles (colloids) and the structure of salt solutions near surfaces.
Prof Mugele's research has led to a better understanding of how aqueous salt solutions behave near solid surfaces. His team used advanced nanoscale measurement methods, such as atomic force microscopy, to determine how the forces between particles act in these situations. By combining this method with computer models (molecular simulations), his team has gained new insights into how charges and water layers form on surfaces. These processes are crucial, amongst others, for the efficiency of electrocatalytic reactions such as water splitting and CO2 reduction in the context of the energy transition.
The award was presented at the 38th ECIS meeting in Copenhagen by ECIS president Prof Tommy Nylander and Syensqo's Director Global Research & Innovation, Dr Jean-Christophe Castaing.
We congratulate Prof Mugele and his team on this special achievement!
