On September 5, 2024, an extraordinary experimental lecture took place at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion as part of the “Meet The Scientist” lecture series entitled “Fire & Ice: Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide as Molecular Building Blocks at the Interface of Energy and Chemistry”. The event was a great success and was fully booked within just a few days. Around 100 interested participants eagerly followed the lecture, which was given by Institute Director Prof. Walter Leitner together with an experienced team of experts.

The experimental lecture combined theoretical knowledge with impressive live experiments that brought the chemical processes closer to the participants in a tangible way. The comprehensible presentation of complex topics and the interaction between science and the audience aroused interest in the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition. The consistently positive feedback from the participants underlines the success of the event.

Fire & Ice - what's behind it?

The title “Fire & Ice” symbolizes the exciting contrasts and possibilities that lie in the chemical reactions of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Hydrogen and carbon dioxide, which play a key role in energy and environmental research, embody the exciting contrast between intensive energy conversion and the challenging tasks of carbon reduction.
Hydrogen is considered a key molecule for the energy transition. Its use in fuel cells enables the climate-friendly generation of energy. At the same time, carbon dioxide, which is released, foe example, during the combustion of fossil fuels, is one of the main causes of climate change. The lecture showed innovative ways in which CO₂ can be converted into valuable products through chemical processes - a way of viewing CO₂ as a resource rather than a pollutant.