This week, the Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry at TU Dresden welcomed the internationally renowned chemist and Humboldt Research Award winner Prof. Seth M. Cohen from the University of California, San Diego. The 14-day visit is at the invitation of Prof. Stefan Kaskel and serves to deepen existing contacts and prepare for long-term scientific collaboration in the field of metal-organic networks (MOFs).

Prof. Cohen is one of the leading international researchers in the field of metal-organic networks (MOFs), i.e. highly porous materials that are structured like a three-dimensional lattice. They can be specifically modified and are used, for example, in gas storage, catalysis or drug discovery.

For over a decade, Seth Cohen has been researching their targeted postsynthetic modification (PSM), a method with which the properties of MOFs can be precisely altered retrospectively. This work has decisively shaped the field of research and laid the foundation for numerous applications in catalysis, sensor technology, gas storage and drug discovery.

His other scientific milestones include the development of MOF-polymer composites such as “polyMOFs” and innovative approaches in drug development, particularly in the field of metalloenzyme-inhibiting agents. This research has led to the founding of several biotech start-ups that are now developing new therapeutics for cancer and bacterial infections. In addition, Prof. Cohen was a program manager at the US DARPA, where he was responsible for an extensive research portfolio on novel materials and agents.

Focus on long-term collaboration

Prof. Cohen and Prof. Kaskel have known each other since 2011 and have been in professional contact ever since. The aim of the current stay in Dresden is to set up joint projects and prepare for a longer research stay in 2026. “We want to research new applications for porous materials together and specifically expand the scientific collaboration between San Diego and Dresden,” says Cohen.

He openly expresses his enthusiasm for the Saxon state capital: “I have only been to Dresden once before - on my last visit at the invitation of Prof. Kaskel - and was immediately impressed by the beauty of the city. I'm really looking forward to staying longer this time, getting to know the culture and history and deepening the intensive academic exchange with colleagues and students.”

Public lecture on May 27
Everybody interested has the opportunity to experience Prof. Cohen in person in a public lecture:
Title: “Unconventional MOFs - From Polymer Composites to Low-Valent Catalysts”
Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
Place: Chemistry Building: CHE 182, Bergstraße 66, TU Dresden

In his lecture, Prof. Cohen will give a vivid overview of the fascinating world of MOFs and show how the targeted post-processing of these materials opens up new perspectives in chemistry, materials science and applications such as catalysis or sensor technology.

Contact:
Prof. Stefan Kaskel
Chair of Inorganic Chemistry

Tel.: 0351 463-34885