Dirk Kurth

Professor Dr. Dirk Kurth is Full Professor and Head of the Chair of Chemical Technology of Materials Synthesis at the University of Würzburg, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy. In addition to his research chair, he serves as Head of the Functional Materials degree programme, bridging teaching and cutting-edge science.

Research Interests

Prof. Kurth’s research is dedicated to the rational design, synthesis and characterisation of supramolecular materials. A major focus lies on metallo-supramolecular polyelectrolytes (MEPEs) whose metal–ligand coordination enables tunable mechanical, optical and electronic properties. Related investigations encompass:

• Electrochromic polymers for smart-window technologies and flexible displays.
• Lanthanide-functionalised terpyridine complexes for solid-state photoluminescence standards and sensing.
• Photocatalytic ruthenium and iron complexes for light-driven hydrogen evolution.
• Structure–property relationships probed by electrochemistry, X-ray absorption and advanced spectroscopy.

His group combines synthetic coordination chemistry with materials processing techniques such as layer-by-layer self-assembly and electrophoretic deposition to translate molecular design into functional thin films and devices.

Across more than 70 peer-reviewed articles since 2008, his work exhibits a clear trajectory: from fundamental coordination chemistry of terpyridine and pyrimidine ligands to application-oriented studies in energy conversion, sensing and smart coatings. Recent papers increasingly target real-world deployment, as evidenced by air-stable standards, spectrometer-free detection protocols and prototypes of electrochromic devices.

Scientific Awards & Distinctions

No specific awards or honours are listed in the provided sources.

Advising, Grants & Collaborative Networks

As Head of the Functional Materials degree programme, Prof. Kurth oversees curriculum design, student mentoring and international exchange. While individual doctoral or master students are not named in the texts, the research group regularly advertises Bachelor, Master and PhD positions, indicating active supervision. Third-party funding is implied through collaborative projects such as Smart Windows der 2. Generation (ECWin2.0) and ongoing work on electrochromic device prototypes, although grant details are not disclosed.

Laboratory & Facilities

The Chair operates modern synthetic laboratories, analytical suites and thin-film processing facilities housed in the Old Building at Röntgenring 11, 97070 Würzburg. Instrumentation includes electrochemical workstations, spectrofluorometers, and access to synchrotron X-ray sources for operando studies on flexible devices.