Dr. Rotraut Merkle

Rotraut Merkle received her PhD in Physical Chemistry and then joined the department of Physical Chemistry at the Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart. Research interests range from fundamental aspects of point defect formation and transport in ionic solids to detailed investigations of reaction kinetics at oxide surfaces and properties of grain boundaries and heterointerfaces. The experimental studies are complemented by phenomenological or ab-initio modelling. These research intereststs are closely related to applications such as solid oxide fuel cells (based on proton as well as oxide ion conducting electrolytes), gas sensors and heterogeneous catalysis.