Jennifer Strunk

Prof. Jennifer Strunk holds the W3 professorship for Industrial Chemistry and Heterogeneous Catalysis at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), within the TUM School of Natural Sciences. She was appointed to this position in 2023 after serving as a W2 professor at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis at the University of Rostock (2017-2023). Her research group focuses on using renewable energy sources for the heterogeneously catalyzed activation of small molecules such as CO₂, H₂O, N₂, and short-chain alcohols.

Her research interests center on sustainable chemical processes, with particular emphasis on photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and thermal catalysis. She applies a diverse toolbox of operando spectroscopy to identify active sites under reaction conditions, aiming to establish structure-function relationships. Her work explores various energy input methods including light in photocatalysis, renewable electricity in electrocatalysis, and novel heat sources in thermal catalysis, or combinations thereof. Her fingerprint in research prominently features titanium dioxide, rutile surfaces, carbon dioxide conversion, and photocatalytic processes.

Prof. Strunk's recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate strong activity in semiconductor photocatalysis, heterojunction systems for environmental applications, green synthesis of nanomaterials, and fundamental studies of light-induced surface processes. Her work shows a clear trajectory toward addressing global sustainability challenges through innovative catalytic solutions for carbon dioxide utilization and renewable energy conversion.

Scientific Awards:

• Lecturer Award of the Chemical Industry Fund (2017)
• Jochen Block Prize of the German Society for Catalysis (2014)
• Appointment as a member of the Global Young Faculty of the Mercator Research Center Ruhr (2011-2013)
• Acquisition of a BMBF junior research group (~1.2 million euros) (2010)
• Doctoral scholarship from the Heinrich Böll Foundation (2007-2008)

Prof. Strunk received her diploma (2004) and doctorate (2008) in technical chemistry from Ruhr University Bochum. Following a postdoctoral stay at UC Berkeley (2008-2010), she became a junior research group leader at Ruhr University Bochum (2010-2014), then an independent group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (2014-2016), before her appointment at TUM. Her research contributes significantly to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable and clean energy, industry innovation, and climate action.