Maik Eichelbaum

Maik Eichelbaum is a Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the Faculty of Applied Chemistry of Nuremberg Technical University (Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm), where he has been employed since 2018. He holds multiple leadership roles including Spokesperson for the DFG Research Initiative DuraFuelCell and Collegial Management of the Institute for Applied Hydrogen Research, Electrochemical and Thermochemical Energy Systems H₂ Ohm. Additionally, he serves as a professorial member with the right to award doctorates in the Energy Technology Doctoral Center and is a member of the Expert Committee for Knowledge and Technology Transfer at the university.

Professor Eichelbaum's research spans multiple areas of analytical chemistry with a strong focus on electrochemical energy systems. His work encompasses electrochemical analytics, elemental analytics, water analytics, and the analysis of fuel cells, electrolyzers, and batteries. He has made significant contributions to photoelectrochemistry, electrochemical CO₂ activation, and the application of machine learning in chemical analysis. His laboratory focuses on developing advanced analytical techniques for characterizing degradation processes in hydrogen fuel cells, particularly for heavy-duty vehicle applications.

His recent publications demonstrate a clear trend toward the development and application of advanced electrochemical microscopy techniques for fuel cell diagnostics, with growing emphasis on machine learning approaches for predicting degradation. His work increasingly addresses practical challenges in hydrogen technology, with numerous publications focusing on PEM fuel cells for heavy-duty transportation. The research also shows a strong interdisciplinary character, bridging fundamental electrochemistry with practical engineering applications in renewable energy systems.

• 2025 Future Prize of the Innovation and Future Foundation for the project 'Climate, Energy and Raw Materials Change - Interactive (KERWa-interactive)'
• 2023 N-ERGIE Aktiengesellschaft Award for elucidating corrosion and aging processes in anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers
• 2016-2017 Mercator Science-Policy Fellow of the Rhine-Main Universities
• 2012 Hot Topic Prize of the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry
• 2008-2009 Postdoctoral fellowship from the BASF/Columbia University program

Professor Eichelbaum actively supervises numerous Master's and Bachelor's theses, with over 20 students listed in recent years. His current research is supported by multiple significant grants including the DFG-funded DuraFuelCell project (2024-2029), the LiSea project on photoelectrochemical lithium extraction from seawater (2025-2026), and the SMART-H₂ project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and MAN Truck & Bus SE (2022-2027). He serves as a scientific reviewer for major organizations including the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Spaceflight, and the American Chemical Society.

His laboratory, part of the Environmental and Electroanalytical Laboratory at TH Nürnberg, focuses on developing and applying advanced analytical techniques for electrochemical energy systems. The team works closely with industry partners including MAN Truck & Bus SE and BASF, with strong connections to the Energy Campus Nuremberg. Current research directions include smart monitoring of fuel cell aging using neural networks, development of new standard methods for semiconductor photoactivity analysis, and investigation of corrosion and aging processes in next-generation electrolyzers.