International Spring School 2026: “The Chemistry of f-Elements”

Understanding the complex chemistry of f-elements is important for various applications and, compared to transition metals, remains largely unexplored. However, the electronic and chemical properties of these metals portend unusual chemistry: high Lewis acidity, very large ionic radii and large, flexible coordination geometries, generally labile and polar metal–ligand bonding, predominantly fixed oxidation states, with interesting exceptions, and many oxidation states having unpaired f-electrons. In addition to the processing of spent fuel elements, their disposal and environmental monitoring to prevent the release and migration of these metal ions, interaction with the biosphere and the electronic structure of coordination compounds and the resulting properties are modern aspects of the chemistry of f-elements. Applications that are not limited to the activation of small molecules, single-molecule magnets and medical applications result from the specific properties of these metals and can lead to advanced applications in modern society.

Within the Spring School, national and international renowned researchers will introduce interested students to f-element chemistry at the current level. The School focuses on the following aspects: Analytical methods, Coordination and Computational Chemistry of
f-Elements, and interaction of radionuclides with biological systems. Special focus is paid to the risks and opportunities, as their spread in the environment must be prevented due to their radiation, but they represent a very powerful tool for modern medicine.

The International Spring School is organised by Prof. Jan J. Weigand, Dr. Marco Wenzel (Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Chair of Inorganic Molecular Chemistry, TU Dresden) and aims at PhD students and postdocs in all covered fields. The school takes place from March 24^th to 28^th 2026 at the Penk hotel, Dresden, Germany.

You can find the full program here.

Please use the form to register by January 26, 2026.

Speakers (alphabetical order):

• Robert Baker (School of Chemistry, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland)
• Hélène Bolvin (Université de Toulouse, France)
• Claudia Fournier (GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Germany)
• Andrew Kerridge (Lancaster University, UK)
• Manja Kubeil (Helmholtzzentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Germany)
• Karsten Meyer (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen Nürnberg, Germany)
• Michel Meyer (l'Université de Bourgogne, France)
• Louise Natrajan (University of Manchester, UK)
• Dagmara Strumińska-Parulska (University of Gdańsk, Poland)
• Michael Patzschke (Helmholtzzentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Germany)
• Johannes Raff (Helmholtzzentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Dresden, Germany)
• Thorsten Stumpf (Helmholtzzentrum Dresden Rossendorf, Germany)
• Jan J. Weigand (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany)