Wissenschaft + Forschung

Schlaglicht Forschen in der Fremde

Alexander Antonov, a subgroup leader at the University of Regensburg, moved from Russia to Germany to be with his partner, without any job prospects lined up. Two more reasons ultimately drove him to leave Russia.
This story is about how fortunate I was to have many good people in my life who supported my academic journey.
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<figcaption><label>Abb.1: </label>Alexander Antonov, subgroup leader at the University of Regensburg.</figcaption>
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In 2011, I started my PhD project in the group of Alexander Pozharskii (1938&ndash;2025) at the Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russian Federation.
Pozharskii was a beacon in the scientific world for me. He taught me how to plan an experiment, how to write research papers, how to supervise students, how to apply for grants, and how to teach. I am who I am today in great part thanks to him and his teachings.
With his guidance and support, I managed to be appointed as an assistant professor at the Southern Federal University in 2012&mdash;while I was only a 23-year-old PhD student. It is an entry-level academic position in Russia with responsibilities in teaching and research, which can be held by PhD students in exceptional cases. This allowed me to establish my own subgroup, acquire external research funding, and develop an independent research field of non-covalent interactions in polar organometallic chemistry. In 2014, I received my PhD degree and continued working there.
In 2016, a twist happened in my life. During a visit to Germany, I met a man who I fell in love with. When I had to return to Russia, we maintained a long-distance relationship. At this point, it became clear to me that to be together with him, I needed to find a position at a German university.
However, this required much higher scientific achievements than I was getting with the limited resources of my home university.
So, in 2017, I started contacting research groups in Germany. Ruth Gschwind, Professor at the University of Regensburg, supported my application for a Humboldt Research Fellowship, which was, however, declined. Meanwhile, my efforts in Russia were more successful: after a postdoctoral stay at the University of Saint Petersburg in 2018, I was appointed Associate Professor there the following year. By then, my long-distance relationship had been going on for three years.
Undeterred, I secured my first research visit in Germany: I stayed in touch with Gschwind, and in 2020, with DAAD funding, I secured a three-month research stay in her group, and was invited for another research stay the following year. Besides carrying out great research, this allowed me to spend more time with my boyfriend.
<h2 type="main">A gay professor in Russia</h2>
Life as a gay man in Russia has always carried risk, especially since the introduction of the so-called anti-gay law in 2013&mdash;officially the law &ldquo;For the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating a Denial of Traditional Family Values&rdquo;. This law intensified pressure on the LGBTQ+ community. However, it did not significantly threaten one&lsquo;s individual academic career or personal freedom.
Until 2022, my academic career was progressing well, but my further work in the Russian academic sphere became increasingly precarious.
First, the new Russian laws called for the prosecution of members of the LGBTQ+ community. A new amendment banned the promotion of &ldquo;non-traditional relationships&rdquo; among people of any age. This amendment effectively rendered the existence of LGBTQ+ people in Russia illegal, and made working in academia dangerous: since a university professor is considered a role model for the younger generation, virtually any aspect of one&lsquo;s identity or conduct could be construed as &ldquo;propaganda&rdquo; if authorities chose to pursue it.
Second, the war with Ukraine triggered military mobilization in Russia, creating a real risk that I could be called to the battlefield. In addition, I anticipated that securing external funding would become increasingly difficult, which could have brought my research to a halt.
So, I chose my personal happiness over my career. In December 2022, I left my position at the University of Saint Petersburg, moved to Germany, and married my boyfriend in January 2023.
Leaving Russia was, surprisingly, an easy choice. Of course, I hesitated and second-guessed myself, because leaving behind the group I had built was extremely difficult. But the risks and prospects of staying were clear enough to make the choice straightforward. My personal connection to Germany was never an issue. Professionally, however, official collaboration with German colleagues became difficult, since German universities adopted policies prohibiting official contact with Russian institutions after the start of the war.
<h2 type="main">Finding his footing in Germany</h2>
Surprisingly, moving to Germany was not the end of my academic path, thanks to Ruth Gschwind and Valeri P. Tolstoy. Upon my arrival in Germany, I visited Gschwind, and she generously offered me a temporary researcher position in her group within a research training group (Graduiertenkolleg, RTG 2620).
While I worked on Gschwind&lsquo;s research projects, she allowed me some freedom and independence to pursue my own research projects part-time. At the same time, Tolstoy provided me with the opportunity to keep supervising my team in his group in Saint Petersburg, which made it possible for me to continue publishing papers.
In 2023, I met one of my personal heroes in organometallic chemistry, Paul Knochel. We found common research interests and after learning my story, Knochel arranged the opportunity for me to give lectures to Master&lsquo;s students at LMU Munich.
All of this allowed me to maintain a strong research profile. However, being younger would have made things easier. Given my academic age, I no longer qualify for prestigious early-career programs such as the Liebig Fellowship, the Emmy Noether Programme, or an ERC starting grant, which would have supported me in building a research group in Germany from scratch.
However, in March 2026, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) approved my research grant proposal, giving me the opportunity to establish a group in Germany and pave the way towards a professorship.
Looking back at my German journey, I am very happy with how things turned out: I am happily married, I have a good job, and I can pursue my own research interests. My attitude towards Germany never changed: I loved it from my very first visit, and that feeling has stayed with me ever since. Russia does not feel like home anymore, although my parents and friends still live there. My life is here now, so Germany is my home.
Alexander Antonov

Portrait

Leaving Russia for Love

Maryna M. Kornet, a scientist at the University of D&uuml;sseldorf, initially wanted to come from Ukraine to Germany only for a research stay. On the third day of the Russian invasion, she decided that her daughter&rsquo;s safety was more important than her attachment to her homeland.
I first came to Germany on my own as a researcher in February 2022, initially only for a limited period of time. For me, working in the group of Thomas J. J. M&uuml;ller at the University of D&uuml;sseldorf was an opportunity to see how research is organized in a different country, to learn new approaches in organic synthesis, to meet new colleagues, and to return home with valuable experience. I had never planned to build a new life in Germany. My life was in Zaporizhzhia, with my family, my daughter, my university, my students, my laboratory, and the people I had been working with for many years.
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<figcaption><label>Abb.1: </label>February 23, 2022, the day before the invasion: Kornet still thought she had come to Germany for only a few months; that she would gain new experience and then return to her usual work in Zaporizhzhia.</figcaption>
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On February 23, I was working in the laboratory with my colleagues at D&uuml;sseldorf University. We were discussing what costumes everyone would wear the following day at the D&uuml;sseldorf Carnival. My colleagues explained some local traditions to me and told me that I might even be allowed to cut Professor M&uuml;ller&rsquo;s tie. That evening, I went into the city to find something suitable for the celebration and bought a small carnival hat. I never wore it.
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<figcaption><label>Abb.2: </label>On the evening of February 23, Kornet set out to buy a small carnival hat for the D&uuml;sseldorf Carnival the next day. She never wore it.</figcaption>
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<figcaption><label>Abb.3: </label>Later that evening, Kornet came across a Ukrainian demonstration in D&uuml;sseldorf and remembered the atmosphere and the red sunset. At that point, however, she could not yet imagine how her life would change within a few hours.</figcaption>
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<h2 type="main">Everything changed on February 24</h2>
When the full-scale invasion began in the morning of February 24, 2022, I was alone in Germany. My daughter, my husband, my parents and the rest of my family were in Ukraine. I felt terrified and completely helpless because the people closest to me were in danger while I was far away and unable to protect them. I spent almost the entire day crying. The distance that had seemed temporary and manageable only the day before suddenly became unbearable.
On the third day of the Russian full-scale invasion, I set off to bring my daughter to safety. Since then, her safety has been the main priority in my life. I wanted her to be able to sleep without the sound of explosions, go to school, make friends, make plans for the future, and simply remain a child.
<h2 type="main">The journey to Ukraine</h2>
To reach my child, through acquaintances of my sister who works in The Hague, I found people who were travelling towards Ukraine. I decided to join them. My husband was extremely worried about me and tried to persuade me not to make such a dangerous journey. He shouted at me not to go anywhere because he was afraid that something might happen to me as well. Eventually, I had to switch off my phone. I only turned it on again after I was already travelling through Ukraine.
Before leaving D&uuml;sseldorf, I packed my belongings but left almost everything in my apartment. I took only a small backpack containing my documents and a drone that my sister&rsquo;s husband had given me. I was not sure whether I would be able to return to Germany or continue my research stay. At that moment, the only thing that mattered to me was reaching my daughter.
That same evening, I arrived in Zaporizhzhia. During the night, my husband persuaded me that the safest decision would be to return to Germany with our daughter. Even then, however, we did not know whether this would be possible. Trains and railway infrastructure were being attacked, routes were changing, and no plans were certain. Together with my daughter, I also took our Yorkshire terrier, Spike, who was unable to walk.
On the way back, there were sixteen people in a train compartment designed for four passengers. The corridor of the carriage was also completely full. The train journey lasted approximately twenty-five hours, and for most of that time people could barely move through the carriage to reach the toilet. In the crowd, I was constantly afraid of losing my daughter. I therefore wrote a telephone number on her arm so that, if we became separated, someone could find her and contact me.
At the border with Poland, we continued on foot to the border control. It was winter, I waited in the queue for more than twenty hours with my dog and my daughter. At that time, we simply continued step by step, not knowing how much longer the journey would take or whether we would manage to reach Germany safely.
<h2 type="main">Learning to become a scientist again</h2>
Germany gave us safety, and it gave me the chance not to lose myself as a scientist. After receiving support from the DAAD, I continued my work through MSCA4Ukraine, an EU-funded program to support displaced researchers from Ukraine. Currently, I am supported by the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, which enables universities to host at-risk researchers.
My research focuses on biologically active compounds, including potential antioxidants and radioprotective agents. Since the invasion, protection from radiation and chemical exposure, as well as their long-term effects on human health, have ceased to be purely theoretical: the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since 2022. My family, colleagues, students and friends continue to live with the risks created by the war.
While doing research in Germany, I remain closely tied to Zaporizhzhia National University. I teach, work on educational programs, and support students and colleagues. Much of this work is done remotely from Germany. Sometimes, I feel that, because of this, I am not present enough in the academic life of the university in Germany. At the same time, I cannot simply walk away from the responsibilities I still have in Ukraine. I am still learning how to find a balance between these two professional worlds. Perhaps, living between them is the most accurate description of my experience as a foreign researcher.
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<figcaption><label>Abb.4: </label>Kornet&lsquo;s laboratory at Zaporizhzhia National University. It was not simply a room or a workplace. It was connected to many years of her work, research, teaching, plans, and responsibility toward her students and colleagues. Seeing it destroyed was a deeply personal loss.</figcaption>
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<h2 type="main">At home in a foreign country</h2>
I have not fully found my place in the German academic environment yet. But here I have learned how to become a student again. I enjoy attending scientific schools, colloquia, and practical courses, meeting people from different universities, and looking beyond the boundaries of my own field.
One of my strengths is recognising connections between people, scientific ideas, and opportunities for cooperation. It matters to me that the experience I gain here is not only useful to me, but also to Ukrainian students and colleagues.
For me, being foreign often means feeling like a beginner again. Unfamiliar rules, the language, bureaucracy, and the need to ask for help even in simple situations can sometimes make me doubt myself. This feels especially unusual when you already have many years of teaching, research, and responsibility behind you. Over time, I have understood that starting again does not mean losing your previous experience. It stays with you, but it has to find a new form.
My understanding of home has also changed. Zaporizhzhia remains my home because my family, my university, and a large part of my life are there. At the same time, home has also become the place where my daughter feels safe, where we now have familiar streets, daily routines, and people we can turn to.
Looking back, I see not only displacement and loss. I also see the people and institutions who supported me when I did not know what would happen next.
Thanks to that support, I have been able to continue working, raise my daughter, and gradually build a new life without giving up the life I had before. Today, what matters most to me is that my child is safe, that I remain useful as a scientist and teacher, and that the connections between Ukrainian and German universities become part of a shared future.
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<figcaption><label>Abb.5: </label>July 2026: Kornet and her daughter Zlata celebrate Zlata&rsquo;s birthday with their dog Spike. Over the past four years, Zlata has started calling D&uuml;sseldorf home, because her school, her Ukrainian and German friends, and her whole everyday life are here now.</figcaption>
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Maryna M. Kornet

"The war has changed my understanding of home"

Diamanten aus Graphen gebaut | Ein internationales Forschungsteam hat Nanodiamanten aus Nanographen-Bausteinen hergestellt. Statt große Diamanten zu zerkleinern, haben die Forschenden bei 1200 °C und 13 Gigapascal in der Multi-Anvil-Zelle besonders kleine, einheitliche Nanodiamanten mit einer Größe von drei bis vier Nanometern wachsen lassen. Im Gegensatz zu Graphenlagen, die bei den Bedingungen zu Graphit kollabieren, setzt sich Nanographen quantitativ zu Nanodiamanten um. Mit der Methode können die Forschenden Struktur, Größe und Zusammensetzung der Nanodiamanten steuern und zum Beispiel gezielt Farbzentren in das Diamantgitter integrieren, indem sie silicium- oder germaniumhaltige Verbindungen einsetzen. SchnNature, doi: <accessionid ref="info:doi/10.1038/s41586-026-10669-3">10.1038/s41586-026-10669-3</accessionid>Wiederkehrende Supraleitung | Der Supraleiter Uranditellurid (UTe2) verliert seine supraleitende Eigenschaft bei einem Magnetfeld von über 10 Tesla – und erlangt sie wieder, wenn das Feld noch stärker wird. Konventionelle Supraleiter dagegen leiten im Magnetfeld immer mit Widerstand. Forscher:innen vom Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) beobachteten dieses Verhalten und haben eine Methode entwickelt, um es zu erklären. Sie befestigten einen UTe2-Kristall auf einem Hebel, den sie im Magnetfeld schwingen ließen. Aus Sicht des Kristalls schwingt dadurch nicht dieser selbst, sondern das Magnetfeld. So maßen die Forscher:innen, wie leicht sich das Material quer zum Magnetfeld magnetisieren lässt – transversale magnetische Suszeptibilität genannt. Diese ist bei UTe2 so hoch, dass sie wie ein Klebstoff zwischen den Elektronen des Materials wirkt und so die Supraleitung erklärt. SchnNat. Commun., doi: <accessionid ref="info:doi/10.1038/s41467-026-71899-7">10.1038/s41467-026-71899-7</accessionid>Ein Filter für Protium, Deuterium und Tritium | Ein Zeolith trennt Tritium aus einem Gemisch von Wasserstoffisotopen, wie ein Team des Helmholtz-Zentrums Dresden-Rossendorf herausgefunden hat. Im Zeolithen wurden Natrium- durch Silberionen getauscht, und mit diesen wirken die Wasserstoffmoleküle unterschiedlich: Deuterium und Tritium adsorbieren stärker an das Material als Protium. Das liegt an ihrer tieferen Nullpunktsenergie, also der minimalen Energie des quantenmechanischen Systems am Temperatur-Nullpunkt. Da die Nullpunktsenergie von Protium höher ist, profitiert es nicht so stark von der Adsorption – beim Erwärmen löst es sich also als Erstes, danach Deuterium und schließlich Tritium. Das Team reicherte Tritium im Verhältnis 175:41:1 (T2:D2:H2) an. LBNat. Commun., doi: <accessionid ref="info:doi/10.1038/s41467-026-75930-9">10.1038/s41467-026-75930-9</accessionid>

Meldung

Ein Nanodiamant, ein Supraleiter und ein Tritiumtrenner

Artikel

Unbekannte Mutagene finden und entschlüsseln

Alessandro Bismuto, recipient of the FCI-Dozentenpreis, conducts research on pnictogens at the interface between main-group and transition-metal chemistry—especially antimony and bismuth compounds. He uses them in catalytic and photochemical processes, builds functional materials from them, and employs them for light-induced reactions.<h2 type="main">Heavy pnictogen double bonds are challenging</h2>The synthesis and subsequent activation of multiple bonds between heavy Group 15 elements, specifically antimony and bismuth, have historically posed a remarkable challenge in main-group chemistry.1) While azobenzenes and diphosphenes have been extensively characterized and applied, their heavier congeners, distibenes and dibismuthenes, remained largely underexplored for over a century. The primary obstacle to their development lies in fundamental physical constraints. Heavier pnictogens suffer from ineffective orbital overlap, which limits the capacity of these elements to construct stable p-systems. Furthermore, relativistic effects in the heaviest elements lead to a contraction of the 6s orbital, particularly in bismuth, which results in a rise in the energy of the p orbitals and a corresponding increase in the p-p* energy gap.2) These electronic factors render heavy pnictogen double bonds kinetically shielded and relatively inert compared to their lighter phosphorus and nitrogen analogs. Consequently, traditional thermal synthetic routes often fail to activate these bonds.<h2 type="main">Activating bonds through visible light</h2>To unlock the reactivity of distibenes and dibismuthenes, we have targeted their distinctive p-p* transitions using monochromatic light sources. By employing LED (l = 454, 521 nm) irradiation, we activated those bonds and coordinated them to transition metals.3) This light-driven approach facilitated the synthesis of three-membered dipnictene-cobalt complexes with strong covalent bonds.4) Light was also key to enhancing the reactivity of one of these complexes, exploiting a transition using red light. This allowed us to exchange the carbonyl group, and in the presence of a diazoolefin, we were able to access a four-membered bicyclo[1.1.0]butane analog that contains only a single carbon atom.With this proof of concept, we wondered whether photoactivation of dipnictenes could be even more general and enable a direct reaction with unsaturated organic substrates to yield unusual inorganic strained cycles. Diazoolefins were the perfect candidates because they are versatile reactants in small molecule activation and coordination chemistry. Using them, we wanted to unlock the reactivity of the kinetically shielded π bonds, thereby synthesizing previously unknown <link href="#nadc20264160309-fig-0001">heterocycles (figure 1).<figure xml:id="nadc20264160309-fig-0001"><figure><img alt="image" src="https://eu-central-1.graphassets.com/Aype6X9u2QGewIgZKbFflz/cmtgpup436vb307uqyaglzo0g" data-strapi-src="https://cdn.gdch.de/prod/nadc20264160309_fig_0001_a_2b691fc9f8.png"><figcaption><label>Abb.1: </label>Light-driven reactivity in heavy dipnictenes.</figcaption></figure></figure>We started our investigation by reacting distibene with a model diazoolefin under green light.5) We isolated the product of this reaction in 93% yield, and confirmed its identity as a rare three-membered methylenedistibarane by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Because the negative charge is heavily located at the vinylidene carbon, we decided to test the reactivity of the compound with an electrophile, namely CO2. Upon addition to a solution of the three-membered cycle, CO2 was activated and incorporated—a rare event in heavy pnictogen chemistry.<h2 type="main">Developing Sb and Bi chromophores</h2>Luminescent compounds are fundamental in several fields, from fluorescence and chemical sensing, to photovoltaics, OLEDs, and organic electronics. Antimony and bismuth have often been reported as main components of perovskites and heterogeneous luminescent materials. In contrast, molecular luminescent scaffolds containing antimony and bismuth are scarce, and the lack of general synthetic strategies to access these compounds depicts both the challenge and the opportunity in this area.6) In particular, we wanted to understand how the introduction of a heavy atom affects a given molecular chromophore scaffold. Using the dipyrrin ligand, we isolated previously unknown SBDIPY and BIDIPY compounds, the heavier analogs of <link href="#nadc20264160309-fig-0002">BODIPY and fully characterized them in solution and in the solid-state (figure 2). We stabilized the compounds by modifying the ligand scaffold and adding an electron-donating group, and entered the field of photocatalysis.7) The most stable antimony dipyrrin complex performed well as singlet oxygen photosensitizer, matching the high efficiency of the porphyrin- and BODIPY-based systems (&gt;75%).<figure xml:id="nadc20264160309-fig-0002"><figure><img alt="image" src="https://eu-central-1.graphassets.com/Aype6X9u2QGewIgZKbFflz/cmtgpus9v6vej07uq1fsg55pu" data-strapi-src="https://cdn.gdch.de/prod/nadc20264160309_fig_0002_a_965709fb77.png"><figcaption><label>Abb.2: </label>Heavy pnictogens chromophores.</figcaption></figure></figure>Furthermore, we used our Sb-based system to oxidize different functional groups, reaching turnover numbers (TONs) of up to 5500 for alkene substrates. These compounds have also been used as molecular sensors for detecting both soft and hard Lewis acids, with higher sensibility than any BODIPY analogs.8)Visible light can unlock the unique chemistry of the heavy elements antimony and bismuth, allowing the creation of new molecules that were previously difficult to access. This also led to the development of new light-responsive compounds that can act as photocatalysts and chemical sensors.<h2 type="main">Three questions for the author: Alessandro Bismuto</h2>What does your ideal morning look like?Having breakfast with my family: my wife, my brother, my sister and all my nephews. Then spending the day at the beach—playing together, enjoying the sea, and simply making the most of our time with one another.What was the best advice you received?Let yourself shine, and people will see you shine.A major challenge currently facing scientists is convincing society that science is fun, thereby engaging the next generation.Alessandro Bismuto became a Junior Professor (tenure track) at the University of Bonn in 2023, studying heavy pnictogen chemistry. He started his independent career at the University of Göttingen as a Liebig Fellow (FCI) after a postodoctoral research stay at ETH Zürich with Bill Morandi. He earned his PhD at the University of Edinburgh under the supervision of S. Thomas and M. Cowley, and his Bachelor‘s and Master‘s degree at the University of Naples Federico II.<img alt="image" src="https://eu-central-1.graphassets.com/Aype6X9u2QGewIgZKbFflz/cmtgpuv9r6vik07uq81pje3vd" data-strapi-src="https://cdn.gdch.de/prod/nadc20264160309_gra_0001_a_f7a883d392.png">Photo: B. Frommann / University of Bonn<ul class="references" cited="no" style="numbered" xml:id="nadc20264160309-bibl-0001"><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0001">1 R. C. Fischer, P. P. Power, Chem. Rev. 2010, 110, 3877–3923</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0002">2 T. Sasamori, N. Tokitoh, Dalton Trans. 2008, 1395–1408</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0003">3 D. Meleschko, P. Palui, R. M. Gomila et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024, e202405400</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0004">4 D. Meleschko, P. Palui, G. Pugliese et al., Organometallics 2024, 43, 2581–2588</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0005">5 P. Palui, S. Ghosh, R. M. Gomila et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 1421–1426</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0006">6 S. M. Parke, M. P. Boone, E. Rivard, Chem. Commun. 2016, 52, 9485–9505</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0007">7 A. Korzun, M. J. McKee, H. Neugebauer et al., Inorg. Chem. 2025, 64, 15667–15679</li><li xml:id="nadc20264160309-bib-0008">8 A. Korzun, P. Brehm, G. Schnakenburg, A. Bismuto, Organometallics 2026, 45, 81–89</li></ul>

Heavy Pnictogens

Light‐driven Reactivity and Molecular Sensors

Während seiner Doktorarbeit vor fast 20 Jahren begann der heutige BASF-Chemiker Alexander Düfert, ein Buch über organische Synthesemethoden zu schreiben – jetzt erscheint die englische Ausgabe.Rückblickend findet Alexander <link href="#nadc20264160045-fig-0001">Düfert seine Idee von damals „völlig illusorisch“. Denn sein Organik-Lehrbuch wollte der Chemiker ursprünglich zum Ende der Promotion fertiggestellt haben. Und doch hat die Doktorarbeit das Rennen um mehr als 15 Jahre gewonnen. Sein Buch ist im Jahr 2023 erstmals auf Deutsch erschienen, und dieses Jahr hat Düfert die englische Version veröffentlicht; sie trägt den Titel Methods of Organic Synthesis.<figure xml:id="nadc20264160045-fig-0001"><figure><img alt="image" src="https://eu-central-1.graphassets.com/Aype6X9u2QGewIgZKbFflz/cmtgpr4jd6fe407up230gddit" data-strapi-src="https://cdn.gdch.de/prod/nadc20264160045_fig_0001_a_981a9c1e97.png"><figcaption><label>Abb.1: </label>Das Lehrbuch von Alexander Düfert: von den Vorlesungsaufschrieben aus dem Jahr 2006 bis zur englischsprachigen Fassung von 2026. Foto: Alexander Düfert</figcaption></figure></figure>Als Doktorand schrieb Düfert an den Wochenenden in der Medizinerbibliothek an seinem Buch, wegen der Klimaanlage und der bequemen Sitze, wie er sagt. Aber dort war er auch in sicherer Entfernung von seiner Arbeitsgruppe. „Das wusste niemand“, sagt er. Angefangen hatte er das Buch für sein noch jüngeres Ich, das für die Diplomprüfung lernte. Damals, im Jahr 2007, gab es für ihn eine Lücke zwischen verständlichen Lernunterlagen sowie Lehrbüchern auf Deutsch und solchen Quellen, die mehr Wissen voraussetzen: Fach- und Reviewartikel sowie Spezialbücher auf Englisch, seien sie über pericyclische Reaktionen oder Kreuzkupplungen. Über diese Lücke sollte sein Buch eine Brücke bauen.„Chemie kann immer überraschen, aber eben auch negativ.“ Und für diesen Fall soll sein Buch wappnen. Er richtet es an Promovierende und Industriechemiker:innen in Forschung und Entwicklung. Er versteht das Buch als Problemlöser: „Was steht mir zur Verfügung, um ein Problem zu lösen? Warum benutze ich welche Reaktion in welchem Kontext? Und wenn es nicht klappt: Wo bin ich falsch abgebogen?“ Masterstudierende könnten das Buch zwar auch verstehen, ihnen fehlten jedoch die konkreten Syntheseprobleme, die sie hineinprojizieren könnten.Chemiker:innen versuchen häufig, die höchstmögliche Ausbeute aus einer Synthese herauszuholen. Düfert wirkt, als hätte er diesen Grundsatz auf seine eigene Art verinnerlicht: Er legt laut eigener Aussage Wert darauf, dass seine Zeilen und Bilder zu einer Reaktion immer auf den neuesten Erkenntnissen zu Mechanismen basieren. Um die Grenzen der von ihm besprochenen Methoden zu zeigen, hat er für sein Buch immer Synthesen mit den komplexesten und höchstfunktionalisierten Molekülen abgebildet, die er finden konnte.Am Ende des Gesprächs übt er Selbstkritik: Ausufernd geantwortet hätte er, das ginge ja besser. Umso wichtiger, zu hören, worauf er stolz ist. Beim Durchscrollen des PDF seines Buchs bleibt er bei einem Diagramm. Es listet auf, in welchen pH-Bereichen gängige Oxidationsmittel funktionieren – zusammengestellt beim Durchsuchen etlicher Syntheseprozeduren. Es ist gut vorstellbar, wie ein Doktorand endlich seine Synthese zum Laufen bekommt, wenn er feststellt, dass die funktionellen Gruppen seines Moleküls eher zu einer anderen Oxidation passen.Dabei ist Düfert heute weit weg vom akademischen Labor. Er findet es aber nicht komisch, dass er als Industriechemiker, der praktisch keine Synthese mehr macht oder überwacht, das Buch veröffentlicht. Im Gegenteil: „Das Hobby geht verloren, wenn man das Hobby zum Beruf macht.“ Auch nach seiner Karriere in der akademischen Forschung habe er in den 13 Jahren bei BASF nicht ein einziges Mal daran gedacht, das Buch zu begraben. Und wenn jemand, der kaum Kompromisse mit sich aushandelt, auf eine offene Aufgabe wie ein Lehrbuch trifft, bedeutet das Arbeit: Über zehntausend Stunden – mehr als zehn pro Seite – habe er in das Buch gesteckt.LB

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Heavy Pnictogens

Light‐driven Reactivity and Molecular Sensors

Lehrbuch

Das Buch, von dem niemand wusste