Young Researcher Dr. Kevin Synnatschke Receives Prestigious Emmy Noether Grant

The consortium of the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1415 “Chemistry of Synthetic Two-Dimensional Materials” congratulates early career researcher Dr. Kevin Synnatschke, Technische Universität Dresden, on being awarded funding through the Emmy Noether Programme. The Emmy Noether Programme, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), supports outstanding early career researchers, enabling them to independently lead a research group for a period of six years to qualify for a university professorship.

Dr. Kevin Synnatschke earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry in 2021 under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Claudia Backes at the University of Heidelberg, where he developed versatile protocols for the exfoliation and characterization of van der Waals crystals. Following his PhD, Dr. Synnatschke was awarded a Walter Benjamin Fellowship and conducted research in the group of Prof. Dr. Jonathan Coleman at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. During his time in Dublin, he investigated the influence of morphology on the properties of thin films made from liquid-processed nanomaterials.

Since June 2024, Dr. Kevin Synnatschke has been part of CRC 1415 at Technische Universität Dresden, where he serves as a subproject leader. His research project, “2D Networks and Heterojunctions with Controllable Morphology from Nanosheet Ink”, focuses on the targeted control of the morphology of liquid-deposited 2D nanomaterials. A key aspect of his work is to understand how the surface properties of nanomaterials and substrates influence film formation, with the goal of tuning inter-nanosheet interfaces and fabricating film morphologies that enable efficient charge and energy transport.

As part of the Emmy Noether Programme, Dr. Synnatschke will establish his new research group “Intercalation-Driven Quantum Materials” starting in April 2026. The aim of this group is to develop novel quantum-materials based on ultrathin, micromechanically prepared layered crystals, designed to generate chiral optoelectronic and novel magnetic signatures through intercalation techniques. This work opens promising new avenues in both fundamental research and materials development in the fields of quantum science and nanotechnology.

The CRC 1415 warmly congratulates Dr. Kevin Synnatschke on being awarded the Emmy Noether Grant and looks forward to future scientific inspiration and collaborations.