Research Group
of Helmut Cölfen

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Prof. Dr. Helmut Cölfen

Prof. of Physical Chemistry, Group Leader

E-mail: helmut.coelfen(at)uni-konstanz.de
Phone: +49-(0)7531-88-4063
Fax: +49-(0)7531-88-3139
Room: L1006
Education and studies:
  1985-1991 Chemistry studies at the Gerhard Mercator University Duisburg
Pre-diploma (Bachelor): 12.2.1988
Diploma, physical chemistry 31.1.1991
  8.12.1993 Ph-D in Chemistry at Gerhard Mercator University Duisburg (Summa cum laude) „Analytical Ultracentrifugation of Gels“ with Prof. Dr. W. Borchard
  1995-2001 Habilitation with Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. M. Antonietti in the Colloid Chemistry Dept. of the Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces: „Biomimetic mineralization using hydrophilic block copolymers: Synthesis of hybrid colloids with complex form and pathways towards their analysis in solution“
  10.7.2001 Venia Legendi in physical chemistry at Potsdam University

 

Professional Career:
  1991-1993 Research Assistant in the Applied Physical Chemistry Dept. in Duisburg
  1993-1995 PostDoc at „National Center for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics“ University of Nottingham / Leicester. Research activities in characterization of complex biopolymers and their interactions and superstructures with Prof. Dr. S.E. Harding
  1995-2010 Scientist in the Colloid Chemistry Dept. of the Max-Planck-Institute of Colloids and Interfaces
Head of the ultracentrifuge laboratory
Head of the projects:
Organic-inorganic hybrid colloids
Fractionating methods of colloid analytics
  2004-2010 Private docent at Potsdam University
  5/2010 Full Professor Physical Chemistry, University Konstanz

 

Awards:
  1991-1993 Graduate scholarship of the Gerhard Mercator Universität-GH-Duisburg
  1991 “Hochschulabsolventenpreis” of the Gerhard Mercator Universität-GH-Duisburg for the best diploma thesis of the year
  1994 “Studienabschlußstipendium”; Fonds of the German Chemical Industry for a fast chemistry study
  1993-1995 Scholarship of the Scientific & Engineering Research Council / England
  2000 “Dr. Hermann Schnell Award” of the Dr. Hermann Schnell foundation / German Chemical Society
  2001 Travel award of the “Macromolecular Chemistry Division” of the German Chemical Society
  2006 Steinhofer lecture, Freiburg
  2011 Listed in the Thomson Reuters list of top 100 chemists worldwide for the years 2000 – 2010

 

Guest professorships / Short Courses:
 
9/2001
Fractionating particle analytics & colloid chemistry in the geochemistry course of the University Konstanz
  1/2002-3/2002 Guest Professor: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Lausanne (EPFL)
  12/2005 Short Course Series on „Rational approaches towards materials and polymers with nanoscale order and improved properties” Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile
  4/2008 14 h Short Course Series with examination on „New approaches towards materials with nanoscale order “ Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Lausanne (EPFL)
  Since 2008 External Lecturer Ecole Doctorale, EPFL Lausanne
  9/2010 14 h Lecture & Examination „Rational approaches towards materials and polymers with nanoscale order and improved properties” at Ecole Doctorale, EPFL Lausanne

 

Editorial / Advisory Board:
  Macromolecular Bioscience
Current Nanoscience
Crystals
Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology
Particle & Particle Systems Characterization
Publications:
  At 12/2010: 214 publications, h-index 46, 1475 citations in 2010, > 8200 total citations, 20 cover pages

Invited book (ca. 300 pages) „Mesocrystals and Non Classical Crystallization“published by John Wiley & Sons 6/08. Co-Author: Markus Antonietti.
Lectures:
  129 invited talks including 5 plenary lectures, 3 lectures on Gordon Research Conferences, 6 Keynote lectures, 6 Ringberg lectures and 9 lectures invited by the German Chemical Society. Additional 19 contributed talks on scientific meetings.
Current research interests:
  Non Classical Crystallization
Synthesis of organic-inorganic hybrid colloids with complex form.
Synthesis of amphiphilic functional block copolymers.
Fractionating methods of colloid and polymer analytics.
Further scientific activities:
  Organisation of the „11th International Symposium on Analytical Ultracentrifugation“ 25/26.3.1999 in Potsdam, 80 participants from 11 countries
Editor Progress in Colloid & Polymer Science 113/ Progress in Analytical Ultracentrifugation 5 (1999), Co-editor Progress in Colloid & Polymer Science 131/ Progress in Analytical Ultracentrifugation 8 (2006)
DAAD program for the advancement of the project related exchange of scientists with Great Britain (British-German Academic Research Collaboration (ARC)) since 1997 – 2000 Exchange with scientists from the group of Prof. Dr. Stephen Mann, University of Bristol
Co-organizer of the workshop: “Investigation of Biomineralization employing model systems” within the Biomineralization priority program of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) 23 & 24.9.2003 in Braunschweig.
Member of the organisation- and scientific committee of the Euro Conference „Advances in Analytical Ultracentrifugation and Hydrodynamics“ in Autrans (France) 8 – 11.6.2002
Member of der organsation- and scientific committee of the „14 International Symposium on Analytical Ultracentrifugation“ in Lausanne, Schwitzerland, 3 & 4.3.2005
Member of the scientific commitee of the 9th international symposium on Biomineralization in Pucon, Chile, 5- 9.12.2005.
Member of the organisation- and scientific committee of the „15 International Symposium on Analytical Ultracentrifugation“ in London, England, 6 & 7.4.2006
Member of the organisation- and scientific committee of the „16 International Symposium on Analytical Ultracentrifugation“, Hannover, 1 & 2.3.2007
Referee for:
  ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, ACS Nano, Acta Biomaterialia, Advanced Biomaterials, Advanced Materials, Advanced Materials Letter, Advanced Functional Materials, Advances in Materials Research, American Mineralogist, Analytical Chemistry, Angewandte Chemie, Applied Clay Science, Applied Physics A, Applied Physics Letters, Applied Surface Science, Biomacromolecules, Biophysical Journal, BMC Biophysics, Carbohydrate Polymers, Carbohydrate Research, Chemical Communications, Chemistry – An Asian Journal, Chemistry - A European Journal, Chemistry of Materials, CNano, Chemical Engineering Communications, Chemical Engineering Journal, Chemical Engineering Science, Chemical Geology, Chemical Papers, ChemPhysChem., Chemical Physics Letters, Chemical Reviews, Chemical Society Reviews, Chemie Ingenieur Technik, Chimia, Chinese Journal of Chemistry, Chirality, Collection of the Czechoslovak Chemical Communications, Comptes Rendus de’l Academie des Sciences – Chimie, Colloid and Polymer Science, Colloids and Surfaces A, Colloids and Surfaces B, Coordination Chemistry Reviews, Crystals, Crystal Engineering Communications, Crystal Growth and Design, Crystal Research and Technology, Dalton Transactions, Desalination and Water Treatment, Energy and Environmental Science, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Energy and Fuels, Environmental Science & Technology, e-Polymers, European Biophysics Journal, European Journal of Biochemistry, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, European Journal of Mineralogy, European Polymer Journal, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineExpress, Folia Microbiologica, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Inorganic Chemistry, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, International Journal of Modern Physics B, International Materials Reviews, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, Journal of Biomaterials Science: Polymer Edition, Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, Journal of Chromatography A, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Journal of Crystal Growth, Journal of Dentistry, Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, Journal of Peptide Science, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Journal of Materials Chemistry, Journal of Materials Science, Journal of Non Crystalline Solids, Journal of Materials Research, Journal of Petroleum Technology and Alternative Fuels, Journal of Petroleum and Gas Engineering, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Journal of Structural Biology, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, Journal of Zhejiang University Science, Langmuir, Materials, Materials Characterization, Materials Letters, Materials Chemistry and Physics, Materials Research Bulletin, Materials Science & Engineering B & C, Macromolecules, Macromolecular Bioscience, Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, Macromolecular Materials & Engineering, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Micron, Marine Drugs, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Micro & Nanoletters, Mini Reviews in Organic Chemistry, Nanoletters, Nanoscale, Nanoscale Research Letters, Nanotechnology, Nano Today, Nature Communications, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, New Journal of Chemistry, Particle and Particle Systems Characterization, Pharmaceutical Research, Physica B, Physica E, Physica Status Solidi, PLoS ONE, Polymer, Polymers, Polymer Bulletin, Polymer degradation and stability, Polymer Letters, Powder Technology, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, Reactive and Functional Polymers, Recent Patents on Engineering, Review of Scientific Instruments, RSC Advances, Science, Scripta Materialia, Sedimentary Geology, Small, Smart Materials and Structures, Soft Matter, Solid State Sciences, Synlett, Thin Solid Films, Ultramicroscopy, Zeitung für allgemeine und anorganische Chemie, Zeitschrift für Kristallographie.
Top 15 % Reviewer: Chemistry of Materials
Top 20 % Reviewer: Crystal Growth and Design, Langmuir
Institutions:
  ACS Petroleum Research Fund, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Minerva Stiftung, Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds, Israel Science Foundation, European Science Foundation, EPSERC. Foundation Ireland RFP2009 Materials Panel, French National Research Agency, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, US department of energy, US-Israel Binational Science foundation, ETH Zürich Research Commission.
Private interests:
  Music in a band, cooking, cycling