CV

PW has carried out his diploma and PhD thesis in the group of Prof. Wolfgang Linert and received his PhD in 1998 from Vienna University of Technology (VUT). During his diploma studies he was on a study visit at the Institute for Isotopic Research, Department for Spectroscopy, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest (Hungary), Prof. Dr. Janos Mink and at the Institute for Chemistry, Dundee University, Dundee (Scotland, UK), Prof. Dr. Trevor J. Dines.

Since 1998 PW was research assistant at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, TU Wien, and since 2002 university assistant at the Institute for Applied Synthetic Chemistry, TU Wien (Austria). As part of his didactic training PW participated at the European Chemistry Thematic Network ECTN “Second Summer School” for Newly Appointed University Chemistry Teaching Staff” in Malta in 2007. 2010 habilitation (venia docendi) in Inorganic Chemistry.

PW was member of the Management Committees of the EU-COST action D34 “Molecular Targeting and Drug Design in Neurological and Bacterial Diseases” 2005 – 2010 and of the EU-COST action CM1305 “Explicit Control over Spin States in Technology and Biochemistry” 2014 –2018.

2012-2015 PW was granted the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) research grant P24955-N28 "Combining chirality and spin crossover: a promising liaison", starting in October 2013 PW was part of the research consortium SolidHeat Basic "Systematische Materialforschung für thermochemische Energiespeicher" (FFG):841150, starting in July 2015 PW was part of the research consortium SolidHeat Kinetics (FFG): 848876 and starting in July 2016 PW was part of the research consortium SolidHeat Pressure (FFG): 6157425. Starting in 2018 PW was granted the the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) research grant P31076-N28 "Rational design of Azoles and Group 14 Element as SCO-ligands".

Member of scientific committees and societies:

Since 1996 Observer and since 2000 Member of the Planning Committee of the “International Conference of Coordination Chemistry” (ICCC).

Since 2006 Member of the Planning Committee of the annual “Workshop on Superconductivity and Novel Materials” organised by Prof. Karlheinz Schwarz on Planneralm, Styria (Austria), which is organized by Prof. Günther Rupprechter since 2018 in Schladming (Styria).

July 2007 Member of the local organising committee of the FIGIPAS-9 conference in Inorganic Chemistry, organised by Prof. Karl Kirchner at Vienna University of Technology (Austria).

2010 - 2012 Member of the Board of the “Chemisch-Physikalische Gesellschaft”, Vienna, Austria.

Since 2020 Member of the Adminstrative Council of the European Chemistry Thematic Network (ECTN)

Research Interests

PW research interests are located in the field of molecular magnetic compounds based on Fe(II) spin crossover (SCO) systems as well as lanthanide and actinide coordination chemistry. His group focuses on:

• the synthesis and characterisation of N4-functionalized tetrazoles as extremely versatile building blocks for mono- and polynuclear iron(II) spin crossover compounds. Recent work includes main group (IV) element (Si, Ge, Sn) substituted tetrazoles yielding SCO complexes with spin transitions temperatures above room temperature.
• the synthesis and characterisation of ditopic bridging ligands for 3d-4f/5f compounds.
• investigations on 5f-coordination compounds (in cooperation with Prof. Georg Steinhauser, Leibniz University Hannover, Institut für Radioökologie und Strahlenschutz, D-30419 Hannover, Germany.). Recent work includes complexation of azo-bistetrazolate [ZT] to Ce3+, Pr3+ and UO22+ moieties as well as Tb3+/Am3+ mixed 4f/5f-systems.

PW research interests are also located in the field of thermochemical energy storage materials (TCM) based on salt hydrates and ammoniates, reversible oxide-hydroxide and oxide-carbonate reactions as well as on redox-active metal oxides. His group focuses on:

• cycle stability and reversibility investigations on salt hydrates such as e.g. Ca-oxalate
• systematic investigations on the reactivity and cycle stability of the magnesium oxide - magnesium hydroxide system
• low temperature carbonation of metal oxides
• ammoniation of transition metal salts such as e.g. CuSO4

Despite of publication and dissemination of results several patents have been granted.

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