Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences

Suhm, Martin, Prof. Dr.


  • 1985 Diploma (Chemistry), Universität Karlsruhe (TH)
  • 1986 Research year, ANU Canberra (DAAD)
  • 1990 Dr. sc. nat, Swiss Fed. Inst. of Technology (ETH), Laboratory of M. Quack
  • 1991/92 JILA, Boulder (CO, USA), Laboratory of D. Nesbitt
  • 1995 Habilitation (Physical Chemistry), ETH Zürich (CH)
  • Since 1997 Professor of Physical Chemistry (C4) in Göttingen



Other Scientific Activities


  • 2010 - 13 Editorial Board member of Angewandte Chemie
  • 2009 - 12 Member of the Committee for the Allocation of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Awards http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/1082006.html
  • 2009 - 11 Member of the Selection Committee of the Swiss Chemical Society http://www.scg.ch/news/news.cfm?ID=133
  • 2006 - 11 Editorial Board member of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
  • 2003-2005 Dean of Studies of the Faculty of Chemistry in Göttingen
  • Since 2002 Coordinator of the DFG-Graduiertenkolleg “Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Molecular Coils and Aggregates” (www.pcgg.de)



Major Research Interests
Our research focuses on intermolecular interactions, in particular hydrogen bonds. An important goal is to study realistic model systems, such as small water, alcohol, amide or peptide clusters, by vibrational spectroscopy (infrared and Raman) in order to obtain benchmark data for their accurate quantum-chemical modelling. This is best done in the gas phase, where no complicating environmental influence exists. Supersonic jet expansions provide an excellent way of generating such model clusters. For example, we have studied stereoselective interactions between some of the simplest chiral molecules capable of hydrogen bonding, the smallest aggregates involving peptide bonds, or elementary proton transfer systems. Closer to the systems of interest in this graduate school, we have implemented infrared microscopy for the study of polymorphism, biological and polymer materials and other topics in which chemical imaging is useful.



GGNB Suhm Figure


Homepage Department/Research Group

http://www.uni-pc.gwdg.de/suhm/index.html



Selected Recent Publications


    http://www.uni-pc.gwdg.de/suhm/suhm/suhmpubs.html

  • Oswald S, Suhm MA (2017) Experimental Reference Data for Hexafluorinated Propanol by Exploring an Unusual Intermolecular Torsional Balance, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 12672–12676

  • Forsting T, Gottschalk HC, Hartwig B, Mons M, Suhm MA (2017) Correcting the record: The dimers and trimers of trans-N-methylacetamide, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 19), 10727–10737

  • Mata RA, Suhm MA (2017) Benchmarking quantum chemical methods: are we heading in the right direction?, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 11011–11018. Quantenchemische Methoden im Leistungsvergleich: Stimmt die Richtung noch?, Angew. Chem. 129 (2017), 11155–11163

  • Poblotzki A, Gottschalk HC, Suhm MA (2017) Tipping the Scales: Spectroscopic Tools for Intermolecular Energy Balances, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 5656–5665

  • Gottschalk HC, Altnöder J, Heger M, Suhm MA (2016) Control over the hydrogen bond docking site in anisole by ring methylation, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 55, 1921–1924