Henning A. Höppe

Prof. Dr. Henning A. Höppe serves as Professor of Solid State Chemistry and Materials Science at the University of Augsburg, where he leads the Chair of Solid-state Chemistry within the Institute of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology. His research focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel inorganic materials with applications in luminescence, catalysis, and energy conversion technologies.

Dr. Höppe was born in 1972 in Nuremberg. He completed his Chemistry Diploma at the University of Bayreuth (1993-1998), including an ERASMUS study period at the University of Bristol in 1997. He earned his doctorate at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich under Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schnick (1999-2003), followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Oxford with Prof. Malcolm LH Green FRS (2003-2004). From 2004 to 2010, he led a junior research group at Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg before joining the University of Augsburg in 2010.

Prof. Höppe's research centers on silicate-analogous compounds, particularly borosulfates, borophosphates, and fluorooxoborates. His work explores structure-property relationships of ionic inorganic solid-state compounds, with emphasis on optical properties (luminescence, absorption, non-linear optical behavior), luminescent host compounds doped with rare earth elements, solid-state acids for heterogeneous catalysis, and precursor compounds. A key aspect involves synthesis of phase-pure samples, single crystal growth, and structural elucidation using X-ray diffraction. His investigations span classical fluorescent materials, antenna phosphors, quantum splitter phosphors, and weakly coordinating host structures for various applications.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory focused on novel borosulfate compounds, tungstates, and rare earth-doped materials. His work demonstrates expertise in synthesizing complex inorganic frameworks and understanding how structural features influence functional properties, with particular relevance to lighting and display technologies.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with several prestigious awards:

• Postdoctoral scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD (2003-2004)
• Liebig Habilitation Scholarship from the Chemical Industry Fund (FCI) (April 2006 to September 2010)
• Eugen Graetz Prize 2006

Prof. Höppe has supervised numerous doctoral students including Dr. Matthias Hämmer (2022), Dr. Philip Netzsch (2021), and Dr. Stephan Jantz (2019), along with many master's and bachelor's students. His current research group includes doctoral students Vivien Wessels, Erich Turgunbayev, Martina Mikuta, Gwendolyn Buchner, Martin Schäfer, and Peter Gross. The group maintains active research in solid-state chemistry with projects focusing on development of new materials with tailored optical and structural properties.

The Höppe Working Group operates well-equipped laboratories for solid-state synthesis, featuring facilities for classical solid-state reactions (up to approximately 2000 °C), solvothermal syntheses, and reactions in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents including ionic liquids. The group possesses advanced characterization capabilities for powder and single crystal diffraction, infrared spectrometry, UV-vis spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, and thermal analysis, enabling comprehensive materials investigation.