Awarded: Prof. Corina Andronescu revolutionizes hydrogen research!

Awarded: Prof. Corina Andronescu revolutionizes hydrogen research!

On June 4, 2025, Prof. Corina Andronescu was awarded the Chemical Industry Fund Lecturer Prize for her exceptional scientific achievements. This honor is given to outstanding young scientists working in chemistry. Andronescu, born in 1987, studied chemical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (UPB) and received her doctorate there in 2014. Her dissertation focused on the synthesis of new benzoxazines that have applications in composite synthesis and biosensors.

Before moving to the Ruhr University Bochum for her postdoctoral research in 2016, she worked as a lecturer in bioresources and polymer sciences at the University of Bucharest. There she gained important experiences that shaped her professional career. Since 2017, Andronescu has been co-inventor of a patent application for self-healing nanoparticle-based catalyst layers and in 2018 she was appointed junior professor of electrochemical catalysis at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) as part of the tenure track program.

Research priorities and projects

In her current position, Andronescu focuses on understanding complex electrochemically active materials for energy conversion and storage. She carries out nanoelectrochemical experiments to investigate the effectiveness of electrocatalysts and tests them in electrolyzers under industrial conditions. Their goal is to develop new catalyst materials that help provide renewable energy sources, especially hydrogen.

Particularly noteworthy is the “Natural Water to H2” project she leads, which is funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with around three million euros and deals with sustainable hydrogen production. In this context, Andronescu won the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize in 2024, which was awarded by the Society of German Chemists (GDCh). The award, which comes with prize money of 7,500 euros, recognizes her dimensions in technical chemistry, her teaching activities and her international experience.

Recognition and awards

The GDCh selection committee particularly emphasized her research achievements, the acquisition of third-party funding and her management skills. Andronescu is also a respected preacher of electrochemical catalysis, particularly in attaching catalysts to electrodes. In recent years she has also received awards such as the Gottschalk-Diederich-Baedeker Prize (2022) and the Jochem Block Prize (2023).

Andronescu is a pioneer in her field and her research projects aim to find sustainable and innovative solutions for future challenges in the field of energy supply. Her outstanding achievements in science and education make her a valuable figure in chemical science.