Erik T. J. Nibbering

Dr. Erik T. J. Nibbering is a Professor and Department Head of C1 'Femtosecond Spectroscopy of Molecular Systems' at the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy in Berlin. He specializes in ultrafast chemical reaction dynamics, particularly proton/electron transfer in liquids, hydrogen bond dynamics, and structural dynamics of biomolecular systems. His work combines femtosecond spectroscopy with advanced techniques like time-resolved infrared and soft-X-ray spectroscopy.

Education: PhD (1988–1993) in Physical Chemistry from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, followed by postdoctoral research at Laboratoire d’Optique Appliquée in France and the Max Born Institute. Habilitation in Experimental Physics (2007) from Freie Universität Berlin.

Research focuses on elucidating proton transport mechanisms in aqueous solutions, including von Grotthuss hopping and hydration dynamics. Awards include an ERC Advanced Grant (2017–2023) for studying proton transfer via X-ray spectroscopy. He leads cooperative projects with institutions like Yale University and Stockholm University, and has secured major grants from DFG, Leibniz, and the German-Israeli Foundation.

Over 210 peer-reviewed publications, 333 conference contributions, and 93 invited talks reflect his prolific career. Current initiatives include mapping proton transfer pathways and developing liquid flatjet systems for soft-X-ray studies. His work bridges fundamental science with applications in energy and biophysics.