Our research interests:

  • Organic electrosynthesis: method development and mechanistic studies
  • Electrocatalysis and electrochemical catalysis
  • Organic electrolytes for synthesis and energy storage
  • New approaches toward sustainable electrolysis and separation
  • Electrochemical CO2 reduction
  • Flow electrochemistry

Learn more about our ongoing projects...

News

04/2022: Appointment as full professor
Robert is now a Heisenberg Professor at the University of Rostock.

10/2021: Research from the group highlighted on the cover of ChemElectroChem
Nayereh's and Adrian's paper on TEMPO-modified polymethacrylates was selected for the front cover and the cover profile of issue 20.

08/2021: Virtual Workshop "Current Developments in Electrosynthesis & Electrocatalysis"
The workshop was hosted by the Francke Group on August 4 with Song Lin (Cornell University) and Prof. Alastair Lennox (University of Bristol) as guest speakers. Several postdocs and PhD students presented their latest research.

05/2021: New laboratory established at LIKAT
A part of the group is now located at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis.

01/2021: Power-to-PhD
Arend successfully defended his dissertation entitled "Mechanistic Studies on Catalytic Reactions in Electrosynthesis".

10/2020: Habilitation completed
After the colloquium entitled "The Synergistic Interplay between Electrochemistry and Catalysis", Robert's habilitation procedure has been finalized.

10/2020: Master's thesis successfully defended
With the defense of his thesis entitled "Cyclic Voltammetry Studies on TEMPO-modified Polymethacrylates", Adrian successfully completed his Master's degree. Congratulations!

01/2020: Electrochemistry Gordon Research Conference in Ventura, CA
Robert attends and contributes a talk on "Electrochemical Catalysis and Molecular Rearrangements".

11/2019: New group member from Mainz begins work on dissertation
Welcome to Rostock, Patrick!

05/2019: Defense double feature
Benni and Timo successfully defended their PhD theses. Congratulations!

03/2019: New postdoc starts his research in our lab
Welcome Igors!

01/2019: New postdoc in our group
Welcome Michal!

11/2018: Nayereh starts her PhD project
We wish you a good start and all the best for your future research!

09/2018: Benni and Timo attend the GDCh Meeting "Electrochemistry 2018"
Benni and Timo present their research with poster contributions at the Electrochemistry 2018 in Ulm.

09/2018: Arend and Robert travel to Bologna
Arend and Robert attend the 69th Annual ISE Meeting in Bologna and contribute one lecture each.

08/2018: New postdoc in our group
Welcome Huyen!

03/2018: Poster prize awarded at the 51st German Catalysis Meeting in Weimar
Congratulations Arend!

Contact


Prof. Dr. Robert Francke

Institute of Chemistry
Rostock University
Albert-Einstein-Str. 3a
18059 Rostock

Department "Electrochemistry & Catalysis"
Leibniz Institute for Catalysis
Albert-Einstein-Str. 29a
18059 Rostock

Phone: +49-(0)381-1281-306
Fax: +49-(0)381-498-6452
E-mail: robert.francke@catalysis.de

Current research papers

"TEMPO-Modified Polymethacrylates as Mediators in Electrosynthesis - Influence of the Molecular Weight on Redox Properties and Electrocatalytic Activity", Chem. Eur. J.  2023, 29, e202202730.

"How to Harness Electrochemical Mediators for Photocatalysis – A Systematic Approach Using the Phenanthro[9,10-d]imidazole Framework as a Test Case", ChemCatChem 2023, 15, e202200830.

“Electrochemistry and Reactivity of Chelation-stabilized Hypervalent Bromine(III) Compounds”, Chem. Eur. J.  2022, 28, e202200974.