Thomas Justus Schmidt

Thomas Justus Schmidt is a Professor and Chair for Electrochemistry at ETH Zürich and Head of the PSI Center for Energy & Environmental Sciences at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland. He also directs the Swiss Center of Excellence for NetZero Emissions. His research focuses on electrochemical energy conversion and storage, including fuel cells, electrolyzers, and catalyst development. Schmidt received his University Diploma (1996) and PhD (2000) in Chemistry from the University of Ulm, followed by postdoctoral work at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has held leadership roles in industry (BASF Fuel Cell GmbH) and academia, including directing the Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research. His awards include the Charles W. Tobias Young Investigator Award and the CW Schönbein Gold Medal. He advises PhD students and leads interdisciplinary teams at ETH and PSI, with a focus on advancing sustainable energy technologies.

• Education: University of Ulm (Diploma 1996, PhD 2000)
• Industry Experience: BASF Fuel Cell GmbH (2002–2010)
• Key Roles: Director of Swiss NetZero Center, Head of PSI Energy & Environmental Sciences

His research bridges fundamental electrochemistry with practical applications, emphasizing catalyst design, operando spectroscopy, and sustainable energy systems. Notable projects include high-temperature membrane electrode assemblies and CO₂ electroreduction technologies. Collaborations leverage PSI’s large-scale facilities for advanced material characterization.

Scientific contributions include over 200 publications in journals like Nature Chemistry and Advanced Energy Materials. His team explores electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions and novel materials for energy storage. Current work addresses scalability of electrochemical processes and low-carbon technologies.