born 1951 in Bad Vilbel (Germany)
1970 - 1974 Studies of chemistry and physics at the Universities of Frankfurt/Main and Konstanz 1974 Diplom Thesis („with distinction") in physical organic chemistry with E. Daltrozzo, Konstanz 19.12.1974 Diplom-Chemiker-Hauptexamen, Prädikat "mit Auszeichnung" 10.02.1978 Ph.D. Thesis („summa cum laude") in main group organometallic chemistry with Hans Bock, Frankfurt 1978 - 1979 Postdoctoral year in metal-metal multiple bond research with F.A. Cotton at Texas A&M University 1981 - 1987 Hochschulassistent at the University of Frankfurt 11.10.1982 Habilitation for Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Frankfurt ("Coordination Chemistry of Reduced Heterocycles") 18.08.1987 Appointment as full professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Stuttgart 3.11.2003 Appointment as adjunct professor at Northern Illinois University (USA) 27.4.2005 Appointment as visiting professor at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou (China) 2006 Guest professor at the University of Chile at Santiago 2007 Guest professor at the University of Concepcion (Chile) 2012 IIT Bombay Review Paper Award 2012 2013 Dr. Luis Federico Leloir-Preis for International Cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (Argentina) 2014 Alfred-Stock Gedächtnispreis of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh) 2016-17 Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (India)
Fellowships
1978-1981: Liebig-Fellowship (postdoctoral)
1982-1987: Winnacker-Fellowship
1987: Heisenberg-Fellowship
Publications and other
- over 600 research publications in refereed journals
- textbook „Bioanorganische Chemie" (1991, 1995 and 2005); translated as „Bioinorganic Chemistry", (Wiley, 1994 and 2013), Literature Award of the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie
- co-editor of "Anorganische Chemie" (Shriver/Atkins/Langford), VCH (1997)
- Supervisor of more than 68 Ph.D. Theses
Main research areas
- coordination chemistry of unsaturated ligands with organic, organometallic and inorganic electrophiles (main group and transition elements); mixed valency; complexes with non-innocent ligands; organic radicals; charge, electron, and spin transfer processes; metal complexation of quinonoid cofactors
- methodical emphasis on UV/Vis/NIR and EPR spectroscopy, (spectro-)electrochemistry