Over 200 scientists from about 50 research groups in 6 institutions
We shape a new scientific discipline, inspire the scientists of tomorrow, and enable future technologies
Equity and diversity as a source of strength, fundamental to innovative ideas, and a prerequisite for excellence in science
We are happy to welcome young Solvation Scientists every year after Whitsun in Bochum
Building strong networks between academia and industry
The first research building for Solvation Science in the world @ Ruhr University Bochum
Center for Advanced Liquid-Phase Engineering @TU Dortmund University
The Cluster of Excellence RESOLV is an interdisciplinary research project of the Ruhr University Bochum and the TU Dortmund University, as well as four other institutions in the German Ruhr area. Since 2012, about 200 scientists cooperate to clarify how the solvent is involved in the control, mediation and regulation of chemical reactions. Our research is essential to advance technologies that could reuse CO2 for chemicals production, increase the efficiency of energy conversion and storage, develop smart sensors, or enhance drug delivery. Over its third funding period (2026-2032), RESOLV is supported by the German Federal Government and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia with 43 Mio. Euro.
RESOLV pioneered Solvation Science as an interdisciplinary research field. It has transformed its host universities into excellent research ecosystems and embedded researchers at all stages of their careers in an international network of scientists.
Researchers at the University of Münster and Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have demonstrated for the first time in real time that the body’s own defence cells use catecholamines – neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adrenaline – to communicate via the same chemical signals as nerve cells.
This discovery opens up a new understanding of how the immune system is regulated. The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal “Advanced Science”.
Researchers at the University of Münster and Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have demonstrated for the first time in real time that the body’s own defence cells use catecholamines – neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adrenaline – to communicate via the same chemical signals as nerve cells.
This discovery opens up a new understanding of how the immune system is regulated. The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal “Advanced Science”.
Researchers at the University of Münster and Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have demonstrated for the first time in real time that the body’s own defence cells use catecholamines – neurotransmitters such as dopamine and adrenaline – to communicate via the same chemical signals as nerve cells.
This discovery opens up a new understanding of how the immune system is regulated. The study has been published in the latest issue of the journal “Advanced Science”.
RESOLV hosts an annual summer school at ZEMOS, Ruhr University Bochum. The school always takes place after Whitsun and is an integral part of the integrated Graduate School Solvation Science (iGSS) students' training during their doctoral studies. Scholarships for international students and PhD candidates are also available upon admission.
International speakers, suggested by a committee of iGSS students and RESOLV postdocs, are invited to give keynote talks on their research in the field of Solvation Science. In career-boosting workshops, summer school participants may meet industry professionals or fine-tune their personal skills. The Advanced Laboratory Modules offer the students an excellent opportunity to learn new and interesting experimental and theoretical techniques within a specific research topic of their own choice.
G. A. Virgen, S. Skoko, A. M. Stingel, T. Goswami, R. L. Cole, D. C. Crans, P. B. Petersen, A. Vila Verde, N. E. Levinger, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 123, e2518988123 (2026), 10.1073/pnas.2518988123
T. Kistwal, K. Kanhaiya, A. Buchmann, C. Ma, J. Nikolić, J. Ackermann, P. Galonska, S. S. Nalige, V. Sardari, A. Sudarsan, M. Havenith, M. Sulpizi, S. Kruss, Light-induced quantum friction of carbon nanotubes in water, Nature UK (2026), 10.1038/s41586-026-10632-2
W. Chen, M. Gruebele, M. Havenith, K. J. Hebel, C. Scaletti, Water-mediated Hydrogen Bonds and Local Side Chain Interactions in the Cooperative Collapse and Expansion of PNIPAM Oligomers, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 123, e2523755123 (2026), 10.1073/pnas.2523755123
Y. Cao, J. Mieres-Perez, J. F. Rowen, A. H. Raut, P. Schweer, A. Bao, W. Sander, E. Sánchez-García, K. Morgenstern, On-surface synthesis platform for highly branched oligomers based on sequential C–C coupling and C–H activation of carbenes, Nat. Commun. 17, 1145 (2025), 10.1038/s41467-025-67604-9
T. Tabassum, B. Das, C. Park, S. Ghosh, D. Naujoks, S. M. Piontek, A. Ludwig, D. Marx, P. B. Petersen, Hydrophobic versus Hydrophilic Nature of the Gold-Water Interface Determined by Fluctuating Local Water Orientation, Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, (2025), 116201, 10.1103/7ht1-xv82
S. Ghosh, C. K. Das, S. Uddin, S. T. Stripp, V. Engelbrecht, M. Winkler, S. Leimkuhler, C. Brocks, J. Duan, L. V. Schäfer, T. Happe, Protein Dynamics Affect O2-Stability of Group B [FeFe]-Hydrogenase from Thermosediminibacter oceani, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 15170-15180 (2025). 10.1021/jacs.4c18483
D. L. Reinhard, A. Iniutina, S. Reese, T. Shaw, C. Merten, B. List, S. M. Huber, Asymmetric Counteranion-Directed Halogen Bonding Catalysis, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 147, 8107-8112 (2025). 10.1021/jacs.4c18378
K. E. Ebbert, F. Sendzik, L. Neukirch, L. Eberlein, A. Platzek, P. Kibies, S. M. Kast, G. H. Clever, Solvent-Controlled Separation of Integratively Self-Sorted Pd2LA2LB2 Coordination Cages, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 64, e202416076 (2025), 10.1002/anie.202416076
