Prof. Dr. Klaus MÜLLEN, Dr.h.c.H-Index: 210
Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany, EU & VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Nanotechnology Centre of the CEET, Czech Republic, EU
Positions: Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany; Visiting scientist at the Nanotechnology Centre of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies, Technical University Ostrava, the Czech Republic.
Specialization: Macro- and Supramolecular chemistry, and Nanoscience.
At the NANOCON´26 Klaus Müllen will open the conference by his plenary talk “Carbon Nanostructures - From Precision Synthesis to Function!”.
Personal Background and Education:
Prof. Müllen began his academic journey studying chemistry at the University of Cologne, Germany, followed by doctoral work at the University of Basel under Professor Gerson. His postdoctoral training and habilitation were completed at ETH Zurich with Professor J.F.M. Oth.
He subsequently held professorial positions at the Universities of Cologne and Mainz before being appointed in 1989 as a Scientific Member of the Max Planck Society and Director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. With a career spanning over five decades, he is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to organic and polymer chemistry, functional materials, and nanoscience.
Research interests:
His research interests are in the field of preparative macro- and supramolecular chemistry. Among other things, his group has succeeded in synthesizing and characterizing hitherto unattainable large polycyclic aromatics such as superphenalene, which has a molecular mass of 1182 g·mol−1 and consists of 34 condensed benzene rings.[1]
He has developed small disc-like organic building blocks using alkyl-substituted hexabenzocoronene, and in particular HBC-C12[2] – which self-assembles into crystalline liquid-phase structures (columnar liquid crystals) as potential organic field-effect transistors.[3] The considered two-dimensional benzene ring structures are examples of subunits of graphene lattices (graphene nanostructures). The graphene-like structures synthesized and investigated by Müllen include two-dimensional bands of less than 50 nanometers width with jagged edges. Of interest here are the electronic conduction properties and spintronics properties with a view to future replacement of silicon-semiconductor technology.[4]
In synthesis, he introduced a new method in graphene polymer chemistry: soft-landing mass spectrometry.[5] Applications include synthetic light-emitting organic materials (such as OLEDs) and incorporation of molecular defects (defect engineering) organic analogues of semiconductor technology.
His strategic vision and extraordinary scientific achievements have been recognized in Germany and internationally. Let highlight that Prof. Müllen worked as President of the German Chemical Society and as President of the German Association for the Advancement of Science and Medicine. Prof. Müllen’s scientific excellence has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Spiers Memorial Award of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Leonardo da Vinci Award of the European Academy of Sciences. He holds over ten honorary doctorates and professorships from institutions worldwide.
Throughout his career, Prof. Müllen has demonstrated a deep commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. His work continues to inspire advances in materials for electronics, energy, and biotechnology.
Summary of publication activity:
One of the most cited world researchers and visionary leader; he has authored an extensive body of work. The number of total citations: >226.000 and H-index: 210 (Google Scholar, January 2026);
Among others, he published over 60 papers in Science and Nature family journals; ORCID ID 
He has served on the editorial boards of many of the world’s leading journals, including Journal of the American Chemical Society and Accounts of Chemical Research or Chemistry of Materials.