Advanced ceramic materials are driving innovation across all fields of technology, ranging from construction and mechanical engineering, automotive and electromobility, to medical technology, energy storage and conversion technologies, and microelectronics. Especially in the context of sustainable production techniques, substitution of critical raw materials, and energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing, tailored surfaces and interfaces are gaining increasing importance in the future. In this context, chemical processing of nanostructured ceramics in tuning the functional and interfacial properties for better charge transport, higher corrosion protection and enhanced performance. The examples will include engineered electrocatalysts for hydrogen and ammonia production, and advances in photon-harvesting technologies for perovskite-based photovoltaics. Moreover, chemically functionalized SiO2 nanoparticles acting as efficient drug-carriers to transport higher amounts of therapeutic payloads to diseased sites will be presented. Hollow nanocarriers can reduce undesired off-site effects and enable theranostic and thera-regenerative approaches. This talk will emphasize the power of chemical synthesis in designing new materials for energy and health transitions.

Sanjay Mathur is a Chair Professor and Director of the Institute of Inorganic Materials Chemistry at the University of Cologne in Germany. He is a Distinguished Professor at IIT Madras, and IIT Kharagpur, India. He is also the Director of the Institute of Renewable Energy Sources at the Xian Jiao Tong University, Xian, China and a World Class University Professor at the Chonbuk University in Korea. His research interests focus on application of nanomaterials and advanced ceramics for energy and health technologies. He holds several patents and has authored/ co-authored over 540 original research publications (h index, 82) and has edited several books. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Electroceramics, and Editor for Nano Energy. He is an Academician of the World Academy of Ceramics. He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of the Vilnius University in 2016. He is a Fellow of ACerS, ASM International and MRS. He was elected Fellow of the European Academy of Science in 2020 and as Foreign Fellow of National Academy of Science, India in 2021. He was awarded the Woody White Award of the Materials Research Society (MRS) in 2021 and had received the Medal of the Chemical Research Society of India (2022). He is also the recipient of the Materials Frontiers Award (2022) of the International Union of Materials Research Society (IUMRS, 2022). He has served as the President of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS, 2022-23), USA. He was recognized by the Orton Jr. Lecture (2022/23) of the ACerS. He is the Secretary of IUMRS, and he serves on the Boards of European Science Council, German Ceramic Society and German Materials Society. He was elected Fellow of the European Ceramic Society (2025) and Academician of the African Academy of Science (2025).