Pr. Corinna Hess TU München, ‘Research in my group focuses on a bioinspired approach to the development of molecular inorganic electro- and photo-catalysts. Studies in my group aim to address important challenges in inorganic chemistry: efficiently catalyzing multi-electron (proton-coupled) reactions; using light to drive chemical reactions; and generating earth-abundant metal catalysts (e.g., Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) as alternatives to the noble metal compounds that dominate such processes. The research is central to renewable energy and sustainable chemistry processes. An overarching strategy for catalyst design centers on the generation of ‘multi-cofactor’ complexe. The complexes we develop incorporate multiple metal ions, often include redox-active organic functionalities, and provide platforms for bifunctional catalysis. We employ a range of analytical methods to characterize the unique electronic structures, redox properties, photochemistry and reactivity of the various complexes.’