Matthias Arenz

Matthias Arenz serves as an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen, where he has maintained a prominent research position since 2010. His work centers on electrocatalysis and fuel cell technology, with particular focus on understanding catalyst degradation mechanisms and developing more durable electrocatalytic materials. With over 158 research publications and an H-index of 29, Professor Arenz leads an active research group that has secured substantial external funding and maintains extensive international collaborations.

Arenz completed his academic training in Germany, earning a Diploma in Physics from the University of Bonn in 1999, followed by a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the same institution in 2002. His early career included prestigious postdoctoral appointments: a DAAD stipend at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in 2001 and a Feodor Lynen Postdoctoral scholarship at LBNL from 2002-2004. In 2006, he established himself as an independent researcher through an Emmy Noether Research group leadership position at TU-Munich before joining the University of Copenhagen faculty in 2010.

Professor Arenz's research program focuses on electrocatalysis for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, specifically investigating the activity and stability of platinum-alloy nanoparticles, degradation mechanisms of fuel cell catalysts, and utilizing size-selected metal clusters as model catalysts. His work bridges fundamental surface science with practical energy applications, employing advanced characterization techniques to understand catalyst behavior at the atomic level under operating conditions. This research directly addresses critical challenges in fuel cell durability and efficiency.

Analysis of Arenz's recent publication record reveals a strong emphasis on operando and in situ characterization methods to study catalyst behavior during actual operation. His research spans from fundamental studies of single-crystal models to applied research on commercial catalyst systems. Key emerging themes include the development of high-entropy alloys for improved stability, advanced characterization of degradation mechanisms, and innovative cell designs for electrochemical studies.

Professor Arenz has successfully secured substantial external research funding, with over 20 million DKK from Danish and European sources since 2010, and approximately 1.5 million euros from German sources between 2004-2009. He has supervised 5 postdoctoral researchers, 9 PhD students, 3 master's students, and 5 bachelor's students either currently or to completion. His research group operates within the Nanocatalysis facility at the University of Copenhagen, maintaining state-of-the-art equipment for electrocatalyst synthesis and characterization.