C. Gunnar Werncke

C. Gunnar Werncke is a Professor and group leader in the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at Philipps University Marburg. He is currently transitioning to a W3 professorship at Leipzig University. His research focuses on low-coordinate, low-valent 3d transition metal complexes, particularly linear metal(I/II) species, imido complexes, and radical anions, with applications in catalysis and materials science.

• Research spans coordination, organometallic, bioinorganic, and main-group chemistry.
• Develops synthetic routes to highly reactive metal centers for bond activation.
• Studies single-molecule magnets and metal-stabilized radical anions.

His recent publications highlight advancements in inorganic and organometallic chemistry, particularly in linear metal silylamides, imido complexes with radical character, and isolated organic radical anions. Trends in his research include the use of low-coordination environments to stabilize high-spin states, enabling novel reactivity such as C–H and C–F bond activation, and the isolation of transient species like nitrenes and radical anions. He frequently employs spectroscopic and computational methods in collaboration with leading experts.

• Heisenberg Fellowship (DFG, 2023–2028)
• Emmy Noether Program Grant (2016–2022, 2022–2023)
• DFG Research and Return Fellowships

Werncke actively supervises PhD and Master’s students and leads a dynamic research group. His team investigates catalytic C–H activation, dinuclear imido complexes, and the synthesis of NHC-stabilized metal complexes. Current and former members include Heba Youssef, Alessandra Casnati, Andres Gonzalez, and Paula Epure. He collaborates extensively with groups in Germany and France on DFT calculations, Mössbauer spectroscopy, EPR, and main-group chemistry.