Thomas Berkemeier
Group LeaderMultiphase Chemistry
Main Focus
- Production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the epithelial lining fluid (ELF)
- Radical yield of chemical reactions in aqueous media
Chemical kinetics of atmospheric multiphase systems
- Oxidative ageing of atmospheric aerosols
- Laboratory experiments and modelling of the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA)
Diffusion in high viscosity systems (esp. semi-solid and glassy organic aerosol)
- Interplay and competition of chemical reactions and diffusion
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Ice nucleation of glassy organic aerosol
Curriculum Vitae
Professional Career
since 2020: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Multiphase Chemistry Department, Mainz, Germany; Group leader for "Chemical Kinetics & Reaction Mechanisms" in the department of Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl.
2018 – 2020: Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Multiphase Chemistry Department, Mainz, Germany; Research on the subject "Kinetic modelling of physiological chemistry in the epithelial lining fluid" with Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl.
Education
2013 – 2016: Max Planck Planck Graduate Center with the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany; Doctoral thesis with distinction (summa cum laude), supervised by Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl and Prof. Dr. Peter Spichtinger. Research on the subject “Multiphase kinetics of molecular diffusion, phase transitions and chemical reactions in liquid, semi-solid and glassy organic aerosols” in the group of Dr. Manabu Shiraiwa.
2010 – 2012: Universität Bielefeld, Fakultät für Chemie; M.Sc. (1.0) in Chemistry (Physical Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry). Research on the subject "Modeling the competition of deposition ice nucleation and liquefaction of glassy aerosol particles", co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Thomas Koop and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pöschl.
2007 – 2010: Universität Bielefeld, Fakultät für Chemie; B.Sc. (1.1) in Chemistry. Research on the subject "Ice growth inhibition by antifreeze glycopeptides and its suppression by boric acid" in the group of Prof. Dr. Thomas Koop.
Teaching
- 2008-2011: Teaching Assistant at Bielefeld University.
- 2011: Teaching Assistant Advanced Physical Chemistry at Bielefeld University (Prof. Dr. Thomas Koop).
- 2016: Teaching Assistant Analytical Chemistry at Max Planck Institute for Chemistry / Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
- 2016-2017: Guest lecturer in the Aerosol Chemistry lecture of Dr. Nga Lee (Sally) Ng at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA.
Scholarships and Awards
-
Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society for outstanding scientific achievements of a young scientist, 2016. (weblink)
- Eckert Postdoctoral Fellowship at Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), 2016.
- Förderpreis der Friedrich Wilhelm Helweg Stiftung. Best student award at Bielefeld University, Department of Chemistry, class of 2012. (weblink)
Miscellaneous Professional Activities
- Editorial board member of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP, since 2022)
- Junior faculty member of the Max Planck Graduate School (MPGC, since 2021)
- Ombudsman of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (since 2020)
- Member of the ProcessNET Working Party Particulate Matter (GA-F, since 2019)
Publications
42 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles that received over 1600 citations with h-index 22 according to Web of Science. Below is a list of selected publications. For a complete list, click here or see my Google Scholar Page.