Dr Diddo Diddens Achieves Habilitation in Physical Chemistry at the University of Münster
Dr Diddo Diddens, group leader at Helmholtz Institute Münster, has successfully completed his Habilitation in Physical Chemistry at the University of Münster. We warmly congratulate him on this important academic milestone!
26 May 2025 – We extend our sincere congratulations to Dr Diddo Diddens on successfully completing his Habilitation. On May 14, 2025, he was awarded the venia legendi in Physical Chemistry by the Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Münster. With this, he also received the academic title “Privatdozent” (PD), which entitles him to teach and supervise independently at the university level.
Focus of Research: Simulating Electrochemical Energy Systems
Diddens has been a scientist at Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich since 2016. Since 2021, he has led the research group “Molecular Modelling of Transport and Transfer Processes.” His work centers on the theoretical description and simulation of complex processes in electrochemical energy storage systems, especially solid-state and polymer-based batteries. He employs a wide range of computational methods, including molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and increasingly, machine learning.
Academic Career and International Collaboration
After completing his PhD on polymer electrolytes (summa cum laude) in the group of Prof. Dr Andreas Heuer at the University of Münster, Diddens conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Strasbourg. He then returned to Münster and has since been contributing his expertise to the battery research of the Helmholtz Association. Over recent years, he has established himself as a leading expert in the molecular modeling of electrochemical materials and has played a central role in numerous externally funded research projects — including the DFG Priority Programme SPP 2248 "Polymer-based Batteries", the EU Horizon 2020 project BIG-MAP, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research project FestBatt.
Dedicated University Lecturer
In addition to his research, Diddens is actively involved in university teaching. At the University of Münster, he regularly teaches courses in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry and has successfully supervised numerous bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses.
Congratulations from the Helmholtz Institute Münster Team
Prof. Dr Heuer, long-time mentor and colleague of Diddens at both the Helmholtz Institute Münster and the University of Münster, shared a personal message:
“Speaking both as a mentor and a colleague, I want to say how deeply fulfilling it has always been to work with you, dear Diddo, in such a trusting and productive way. Keep up the great work!”
The entire team at the Helmholtz Institute Münster is proud to celebrate this academic achievement and wishes Dr Diddo Diddens continued success and joy in his scientific journey.
Dr Diddo Diddens has published the results of his habilitation in several open-access journals:
Advanced Energy Materials 13 (1), 2202789, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202202789
The Journal of Chemical Physics 158 (15), 154112, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0147339
Energy Storage Materials 44, 263-277, 2022, https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/902326/files/Accepted%20manuscript.pdf
Macromolecules 55 (22), 10229–10242, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01795
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 60 (21), 11919-11927, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202016716