German chemist Ferdi Schüth is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of catalysis and materials science and has received numerous awards for his work. Among other things, he works with porous materials which, due to their large surface area, can be used in chemical catalysis to enhance the speed and efficiency of reactions. He has also contributed to research on mechanochemical catalysts, which allow mechanical energy to be used catalytically. His publications on hydrogen storage and biomass conversion are groundbreaking, particularly with regard to sustainable energy technologies.
After studying chemistry and law at the University of Münster, he received his doctorate in physical chemistry in 1988 (with an award for outstanding Ph.D. work from the University of Münster) and passed his first state law examination in 1989. This was followed by research stays in the U.S., including the University of Minnesota and Santa Barbara, before he habilitated at the University of Mainz in 1995. He was a professor there from 1995 to 1998 and has been Director of the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research since 1998. Schüth has received numerous awards for his contributions to catalysis research, most recently the Alwin Mittasch Prize from the German Society for Catalysis in 2025.