THE TEAM: Lab Members

OUR TEAM

Prof. Maria Lukatskaya

Associate Professor at Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT), ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

Associate editor at ACS Nano

Group head

BACKGROUND

Postdoc, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, U.S.A.
Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, U.S.A.

Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering, Drexel University, U.S.A.

M.Sc. Chemistry & B.Sc. Materials Sci., Moscow State University

SELECTED AWARDS

2021-2025 Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate™ Analytics

2023 SNSF Starting Grant Grantee

2021 Faraday Division Horizon Prize (from Royal Chemical Society, UK)

2020 ACS Nano iCANX Rising Star Lecturer

2020 Drexel 40 under 40

2019 Energy and Environmental Science Lectureship Award

2016 Drexel University Outstanding Dissertation Award

2015 Materials Research Society Gold Graduate Student Award

TEACHING

151-0234-00L Electrochemical Energy Systems (Spring semester)
151-0123-00L Experimental Methods for Engineers (Spring semester)

STAFF

Melanie Darugna-Mafli

Administrative Assistant

Melanie holds a Bachelor's degree in International Trade and is coordinating all key organizational activities in our group.

Office: ML H16

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Peter Feusi

Lab Technician

Peter creates magic in a machine shop for our custom cells and sets up designs

Office: ML H27.2

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POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS

Luis Kitsu

Postdoctoral Researcher

Luis investigates how local and nanoscale structures in bulk materials and at interfaces govern function and performance in energy and chemical systems.

Office: CNB F 124

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Peter Gödtel

Postdoctoral Researcher

Peter is investigating the development and optimization of photoacids for light-driven CO2 capture processes

Office: CNB F 124

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Anna de Vries

Postdoctoral Researcher

Anna is developing light-driven CO2 capture technology as an ETH Zurich Pioneer Fellow.

Office: CNB F 124

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Andrei Stefancu

Postdoctoral Researcher

Andrei is investigating laser-induced changes in electrochemical systems for energy conversion and catalysis.

Office: CNB F 124

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Sonja Mürtz

Postdoctoral Researcher

Sonja is advancing electrochemical polymer recycling by engineering electrode–electrolyte interfaces to control selective C–C bond cleavage.

Office: CNB F 124

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GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

PhD student

Manuel Reiter

Manuel designs new electrolytes for high energy density metal batteries and more sustainable battery systems, focusing on optimizing the solid electrolyte interphase

Office: CNB F122

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PhD student

Katharina Trapp

Katharina studies the role of electrolyte composition in the CO2 electroreduction, utilizing spectroscopic methods such as in-situ FTIR spectroscopy

Office: CNB F122

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PhD student

Sonja Schreiner

Sonja is engaged in the development of flame-retardant liquid electrolytes for high-performance lithium batteries

Office: CNB F122

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Document

PhD student

Julita Tabor

Julita researches next-generation metal anode batteries, focusing on how electrolyte additives influence the anode–electrolyte interface.

Office: CNB F122

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Document

PhD student

Joseph Scapin

Joseph is designing a light-driven CO₂ capture system using photoacids. His research focuses on improving performance and adapting the system for practical, real-world use.

Office: CNB F121

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PhD student

Loren Andrews

Loren’s research focuses on electrolytes for next generation batteries. She uses advanced x-ray characterization techniques to investigate how interfacial chemical processes impact battery performance.

Office: CNB F121

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PhD student

Nils Heim

Nils is investigating electrocatalytic gas coupling for sustainable chemical synthesis, guided by electrolyte engineering and in-situ spectroscopy.

Office: CNB F121

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Research Assistant

Marius Jauer

Marius is engaged in process design and formulation development for a light-driven CO2 capture process.

Office: CNB F124

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Interested to join?

Check out our open positions:

-PhD position in Energy Storage and Conversion

-PhD position in nerve regeneration

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MASTER AND BACHELOR STUDENTS

MSc student

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Jan Grotheer

Jan is studying the effects of cosolvents and additives on the electric double layer in aqueous Zn batteries through in situ FTIR.

MSc student

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Tomas Pena Müller

BSc student

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Nikolaj Weibel

Nikolaj is refining the automation process and investigating the seasonal dependence of a light-driven CO2 capture process.

MSc student

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Josepine Werner

Josefine is working on the process design for the absorption side of a light-driven CO2 capture process.

MSc student

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Jianxun Chen

Jianxun is investigating the influence of external pressure on the cycling performance of lithium metal batteries.

MSc student

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Darius Mathis

Darius is developing novel photoacids potentially suitable for carbon capture processes by addressing challenges such as hydrolitic stability and solubility.

MSc student

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Theo Barois

Theo is working on a master's thesis focused on using amines for photochemical carbon capture. The work will consist of both modelling and experimental work.

PHD & POSTDOC ALUMNI

Dr. Dario Gomez Vazquez

PhD Student

Years in the group: 2020 - 2025

PhD thesis: "Tailoring Local Chemical Environments in Aqueous Electrolytes for Efficient Energy Storage: From Dilute to Concentrated"

Current position: R&D Scientist at WYON

Dr. Nathan (Chul Gi) Hong

PhD Student

Years in the group: 2020 - 2024

PhD thesis: "Engineering Robust Battery Interphases with Cationic Electrolyte Additives"

Current position: Cell Designer at PowerCo SE (Volkswagen)

Dr. Shianlin Wee

PhD Student

Years in the group: 2020 - 2024

PhD thesis: "Elucidating intercalation of redox-active guests to tailor properties of layered MXenes"

Current position: Principal Engineer at TSMC

Dr. Jimun Yoo

Postdoctoral Researcher

Years in the group: 2021 - 2024

Research topic: Electrolyte engineering for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Current position: Team Leader at INW-1 at Forschungszentrum Jülich

Dr. Evgeniya Vorobyeva

Postdoctoral Researcher

Years in the group: 2020 - 2022

Research topic: Electrolyte engineering for electrochemical CO2 reduction

Current position: CTO at Neology Hydrogen

ALUMNI

Visiting PhD researchers
Soracha Kosasang, (03.2021-03.2022), currently JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kyoto University

Federico Lissandrello, (02.2023-10.2023), currently PhD student at the Politecnico di Milano

M.Sc. Students

Daniel Dotzel, Winter 25

Jason Amoah , Winter 25

Tobias Heinrich, Winter 25

Luoting Li, Spring 25

Anshuman Agrawal, Spring 25

Noel Strasser, Spring 25

Kanna Yamaguchi, Autumm 24

Tobias Heinrich, Spring 25

Hagan Kolanz, Spring 25

Maximilian Labandowsky, Spring 25

Noah von der Crone, Spring 24

Vivienne Augustin, Spring 24

Gregor Zesch, Autumn 23

Rebecca von der Elshout, Autumn 23

Hyppolite Robin, Autumn 23

Lukas Schnider, Autumn 23

Yannik Meisterhans, Autumn 23

Stephan Eugster, Autumn 23

Fabio Seidel, Autumn 23

Matthias Hernandez, Autumn 23

Giacomo Rizzo, Autumn 23

Hannes Albers, Spring 23

Diego Burri, Spring 23

Luis Rothe, Spring 23

Dominic Spescha, Spring 23

Ratko Rapaic, Autumn 22

Asia Wahshesh, Autumn 22

Laura Henz, Autumn 22

Jöel Jenny, Spring 22

Ivan Ott, Spring 22

Walter Hänsli, Spring 22

Simone Locatelli, Spring 22

Henrik Haussmann, Spring 22

Florian Grass, Spring 22

Antoine Devincenti, Spring 22

Finn Beiglböck, Spring 22

Matthias Bruno Rohrer, Spring 22

Dmytro Lytvynenko, Spring 22

Filippo Romeggio, Autumn 21

Johan Christian Nothinger, Autumn 21

Linfeng Xu, Spring 21

Andreas Hugentobler, Spring 21

Vadim Place, Spring 21

Cyrille Grumbach, Spring 21

Riccardo Zardi, Spring 21

Valentina Vogt, Spring 21

Andrea Alberini, Spring 21

Gregoire Heller, Autumn 20

Anna de Vries, Autumn 20

B.Sc. Students
Chelsy Hochstrasse, Autumn 23

Kim Keller, Spring 23

Angelo Barbiero, Spring 23

Jonas Dürig, Spring 21

Jan Eriksson, Spring 21