Yves Kayser

Dr. Yves Kayser is a Researcher and Project Leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC), leading the In-house X-ray Spectroscopy group since 2022. His work focuses on developing advanced X-ray spectroscopic techniques for studying catalytic materials and energy storage systems. He holds a B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Fribourg, Paul Scherrer Institut (Switzerland), and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Germany).

• Affiliations: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC)
• Research Interests: X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), high-energy-resolution spectroscopy for catalytic materials, in situ/operando analysis, and instrumentation development.

Dr. Kayser’s research emphasizes leveraging X-ray techniques to probe electronic and geometric structures of catalytic materials. His group develops stand-alone laboratory instruments for high-energy-resolution studies, including laser plasma sources and von Hamos spectrometers. Key contributions include advancing grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence (GIXRF) for nanostructure analysis and integrating time-resolved experiments for catalytic reaction monitoring.

His recent publications explore topics such as differential scattering coefficients for metals, semiconductor nanostructure metrology, and TiO₂ doping effects. He received the 2018 Young Scientist Award from the European X-ray Spectrometry Association for his contributions to instrumentation and methodology.

• Awards: Young Scientist Award (2018)
• Students: Advising John Carl Camayang (PhD).
• Lab Infrastructure: In-house X-ray spectrometers for transmission XAS, EXAFS, and XES, including laser plasma and von Hamos setups.