Chemistry heroine: Prof. Andronescu receives significant lecturer prize!

Chemistry heroine: Prof. Andronescu receives significant lecturer prize!

Duisburg, Deutschland - Prof. Corina Andronescu from the University of Duisburg-Essen was honored on June 4, 2025 with the lecturer award of the chemical industry fund. This recognition is considered a milestone for her outstanding achievements as a young scientist in chemistry. Born in 1987, Andronescu completed her studies in the chemical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (UPB) and completed her doctorate in 2014 with a dissertation on the synthesis of new benzoxazins. These innovative connections are used in composite material synthesis and in biosensors.

After her doctorate, Andronescu worked as a lecturer for biora resources and polymer sciences at the University of Bucharest until 2016. Then she moved to the Ruhr University Bochum for her postdoc research and was a co-author of a patent application for self-healing catalyst layers on a nanoparticles. Her academic career led her to the University of Duisburg-Essen in 2018, where she was appointed junior professor for electrochemical catalysis as part of a tenure track program.

research focuses and achievements

Andronescu specializes in research into complex electrochemically active materials that are important for the energy conversion and storage. It carries out nano -electrochemical experiments to examine electrocatalysts and tests them in electrolysers under industrial conditions. Their goal is to develop new catalyst materials for the provision of renewable energy sources, in particular hydrogen.

For their remarkable contributions to technical chemistry, Andronescu was also awarded the Carl Duisberg Memorial Prize 2024. This price, which was awarded for her services in electrochemical catalysis, includes a total prize money of 7,500 euros, with 5,000 euros for Andronescu and 2,500 euros for your working group. The selection commission of the Society of German Chemists (GDCH) praised their remarkable research services as well as their teaching and management experience.

Current projects and awards

Andronescu heads the “Natural Water to H2” project, which is funded by around three million euros by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and focuses on sustainable hydrogen production. Your previous awards include the Gottschalk-Diederich-Baedeker Prize in 2022 and the Jochem Block Prize in 2023.

Further information on your scientific career and your articles on chemistry can be found on the aurora universities website and in the article about the Carl-Duisberg-Memorial Prize on the website of the University of Duisburg-Essen .