Siegen researcher travels to Nobel Laureate Conference

The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are among the world's most renowned forums for intergenerational dialog in the natural sciences. Hundreds of young researchers from numerous countries and Nobel Laureates are once again expected to attend this year's meeting. The focus will be on scientific exchange, interdisciplinary discussions and the promotion of international networks. Among them: (nano) materials scientist Dr. Dr. Shanmugapriya Periyannan from the University of Siegen.

Periyannan has been conducting interdisciplinary research as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie-CoFund fellow (STAR Fellow) at the Departments of Chemistry and Biology (working group of Prof. Dr. Manuela Killian) and Mechanical Engineering (working group of Prof. Dr. Benjamin Butz) at the University of Siegen since 2023. In her research, she is working on novel materials in the nanoscale that can use sunlight particularly efficiently. The aim is to make chemical processes more sustainable - for example, to break down pollutants or produce climate-friendly energy sources. To this end, Periyannan is investigating how individual atoms on specially developed surfaces can react with light and thus accelerate chemical reactions.

Put simply, the researcher is working on materials that use solar energy as efficiently as natural processes in plants - but for technical applications of the future. The focus here is on so-called single-atom photocatalysis: individual atoms are specifically placed on nanostructured materials so that they can "capture" light particularly effectively and convert it into chemical energy. This could lead to the development of more environmentally friendly processes for energy generation, water treatment or pollutant degradation in the future.

Dr. Periyannan was recently named "Fellow of the Month" by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) scientific organization for her innovative work. The award recognizes her research on sustainable energy technologies and her interdisciplinary approach at the interface of materials science, chemistry and nanotechnology.

"The invitation to Lindau is a great honor and a unique opportunity to talk to Nobel Prize winners and young researchers from all over the world," says Periyannan. "I am particularly looking forward to taking away new perspectives for my own research. This year, the focus of the conference is not on a specific discipline, but on interdisciplinary exchange. This fits in very well with my research, which is at the interface between physics, chemistry, materials science and nanoscience."

Periyannan has international research experience in Germany, Belgium and India. She completed her doctorate as part of a European joint doctorate program at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Liège. Her scientific work on metal oxide-based nanostructures and photocatalytic materials has already been published in international journals.

In addition to her research, Dr. Periyannan is intensively involved in promoting young scientists and equal opportunities in the STEM subjects. She supervises students, supports young women in science and is involved internationally in the Marie Curie Alumni Association. Among other things, she initiated the podcast "The Curi(e)ous Minds", which makes research topics and scientific career paths visible.

"The selection of Dr. Periyannan for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting underlines the high quality and international visibility of research at the University of Siegen," says Prof. Dr. Manuela Killian, who heads the "Chemistry and Structure of New Materials" working group at the University of Siegen. "The conference offers young scientists excellent opportunities to make international contacts and gain valuable impetus for their future scientific careers."

Participation in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting is based on a multi-stage international selection process. Universities, research institutions and scientific organizations around the world nominate particularly talented young scientists for participation.