Congratulations to Julian Pfeffer on successfully defending his thesis

On May 11, 2026, Julian Pfeffer successfully defended his thesis titled “Development of Laser Structures for Electrode Surfaces to Improve Gas Bubble Nucleation in Membraneless Water Electrolysis” at our Chair of Transport Processes at Interfaces. The work was carried out in collaboration with the Chair of Laser-Based Manufacturing led by Prof. A. F. Lasagni.

Optimizing bubble management is a key component in improving the electrical efficiency of low-temperature electrolyzers for the production of green hydrogen. This is where Julian Pfeffer’s thesis starts: the goal is to control bubble nucleation by specifically altering the wettability of nickel fabrics through laser structuring. To this end, various structures, structure sizes, and depths were investigated, exhibiting both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties.

The findings contribute significantly to a better understanding of the relevant process relationships and provide a solid foundation for the further development of low-temperature electrolyzers.