Professor Stefanie Dehnen

In my last two years of school, I had a fantastic chemistry teacher, and three of my closest friends also wanted to study chemistry. In addition, I was reading Marie Curie's biography at the time. All this combined was inspiration enough for me to want to become a chemist myself.

What I find motivating and fascinating about my subject is that we have the opportunity to create something really new in the laboratory. We can "play" with elements of the entire periodic table and find out which combinations that did not exist before can be made accessible with our synthesis techniques – and which properties result for the new substances. These contain so-called cluster molecules, which are generally characterised by a very aesthetic molecular structure. In this way, we combine molecular aesthetics with macroscopic functionality. Every new compound is like a Christmas present for us.

You should avoid looking at statistical numbers to decide which career path you will take, but rather choose the direction that fascinates you the most. This will allow you to perform best and achieve your personal goals. In addition, try to have a non-chemical hobby, which is a wonderful source of inspiration!

It is very urgent to address and solve several serious problems. One of them is the acquisition and production of drinking water. Another is the generation and storage of renewable energy and its conversion. The third – and most urgent – is our contribution to preventing the emission of greenhouse gases by effectively capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Without us chemists, these problems cannot be mastered as we need new ideas and innovative compounds and techniques to do so.

Probably the biggest challenge was (and is) to simultaneously do justice to my biological family (four children) and my academic family, combined with many other tasks in and for the community. But since "combination" is an integral part of my scientific and non-scientific life, it has worked out perfectly and has also given me inspiration and strength.

I have two favourite elements: tin and bismuth but I love it when they team up with other elements!