The Hermann Staudinger Prize is named after Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Hermann Staudinger and recognizes outstanding scientific work in the field of macromolecular chemistry.

With this award, the GDCh honors Ullrich Scherf as a pioneer in the field of conjugated polymers. These polymers possess semiconducting properties and play a central role in organic electronics. Together with his research group, Scherf developed, among other things, solution-processable poly(fluorene) semiconductors as well as stable, defect-free conductive polymers. The materials he developed are used today in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), solar cells, lasers, and transistors, among other applications. Furthermore, they open up new possibilities for further technological developments, such as in soft robotics or ultrafast optical switches. Of particular note is Scherf’s contribution to switching processes in the picosecond range, which could be significant for future optical computing systems.

Ullrich Scherf has had close ties to the University of Wuppertal for more than two decades. From 2002 to 2023, Ullrich Scherf was a professor of macromolecular chemistry at the University of Wuppertal, and he has continued his work there as a senior professor since 2023. From 2012 to 2017, he also headed the Institute of Polymer Technology. Prior to that, Scherf studied chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, where he earned his Ph.D. in 1988. After holding various research positions, including at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz and at the University of Potsdam, he accepted a position in Wuppertal in 2002.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations on this award!