Walid Hetaba

Dr. Walid Hetaba is a Group Leader in the Scientific Infrastructure department at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC), specializing in Electron Microscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). He leads a research group focused on advanced materials characterization, particularly for catalytic systems. His academic background includes a Diplom in Technical Physics (Dipl.-Ing.) and a Dr.techn. from TU Wien (2011–2015). Prior to his current role, he held postdoctoral positions at TU Wien, Universität Bielefeld, and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (2016–2020).

Dr. Hetaba's research emphasizes the structural and electronic characterization of materials at micro- and nanoscales, linking material properties to catalytic function. His group develops methodologies for TEM/XPS analysis, including ChemiTEM—a TEM optimized for chemistry and materials science. Key research areas include catalyst design, nanomaterial synthesis, and surface science, with applications in energy storage and conversion.

His group operates state-of-the-art equipment such as the Thermo Scientific Talos F200X TEM, Phenom Pharos SEM, and NAP-XPS systems. They collaborate extensively with other research groups to advance catalysis and materials science. Current projects include the UniSysCat cluster on bimetallic nanocatalysts and FAIRmat data standardization initiatives.

Dr. Hetaba has published extensively in journals like Advanced Energy Materials, ACS Catalysis, and Chemistry-Methods, focusing on topics such as magnetic catalysts, nanomaterial functionalization, and surface reactivity. His work bridges fundamental material science with applied catalysis, driving innovations in energy technologies.