Rate My Professor Eleonora Mezger-Backus

Mezger-Backus employs ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy techniques, such as vibrational sum-frequency generation and 2D-IR spectroscopy, to probe molecular structure, dynamics, and reactivity at interfaces. Her research encompasses aqueous interfaces including air-water, mineral-water, and catalyst-liquid systems; wetting on molecular scales; interfacial water structure and hydrogen bonding; ion-specific interactions; photooxidation; phase diagrams of polymer blends; photocatalytic water splitting; and ice nucleation. She leads major projects like TACO: Taming Complexity in Materials Modeling (2021–2029), Komplexe Polymernetzwerke für nanostrukturierte Beschichtung (2022–2026), Die molekulare Ebene schaltbarer Benetzung (2020–2023), and REWIRE: Reinforcing Women in Research (2020–2025). Prominent publications include "Water at charged interfaces" (Nature Reviews Chemistry, 2021), "Ice-nucleating bacteria control the order and dynamics of interfacial water" (Science Advances, 2016), "Liquid flow along a solid surface reversibly alters interfacial chemistry" (Science, 2014), "Molecular structure and dynamics of water at the water–air interface studied with surface-specific vibrational spectroscopy" (Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2015), and recent works such as "Phase Diagram of 2D Poly(Ethylene Oxide)-block-Poly(Propylene Oxide)-block-Poly(Ethylene Oxide)─Poly(Dimethylsiloxane) Blends" (Langmuir, 2026). With 129 articles, 108 oral presentations, 104 posters, editorial roles in journals like Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, and membership in scientific advisory committees, her contributions significantly advance interfacial science.