Biofuels and Bioenergy

Biography

Werner Kunz graduated from Regensburg university and got his first professsorship in France. In 1997, he came back to Regensburg University as full professor, head of the institute and later on as the head of the local centre of sustainable chemistry. He has published more than 250 papers in international journals (current H-factor 41) and filed several patents. He was awarded several international prizes, e.g. the Rhodia prize of the European Colloid and Interface Society and the Humboldt-Gay Lussac prize of the French government.

Research Interest

Since 1997 Prof. Kunz is holder of the chair of physical and theoretical chemistry (“Solution Chemistry”) at Regensburg University. In his lab two other professors (Prof. H. Motschmann and Prof. D. Horinek) and three assistant professors (Dr. R. Buchner, Dr. R. Müller and Dr. R. Neueder) have permanent positions. Currently 18 PhD students, 8 undergraduate students and several postdocs and guest professors are working in the labs of the chair. From 1997-2004 Prof. Kunz was mostly involved in applied science performing numerous projects with industrial partners and running his own company (SKH GmbH). In 2004 he came back to more fundamental research, which is reflected by the increasing number of research papers and citations since then. Prof. Kunz and his group are interested in the characterization, conception and practical application of complex nano-structured liquids and their interfaces. The six currently employed professors at the chair have complementary research interests, but all in the field of solution chemistry. Together they currently are considered as the world’s leading group in this field.