MGUMUS -- Norbert Hertkorn

Dr. Habil. Norbert Hertkorn

E-mail:
     hertkorn@gsf.de
Work adress:
     GSF Institute of Ecological Chemistry, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85758 Neuherberg, Germany
Resume:
     Norbert Hertkorn studied chemistry at the Technische University Munich from 1976-1982 (graduate examination: 1.0; graduate thesis (FH Kohler): Synthese und Charakterisierung des Bicyclo(3.2.1))octa-2,6-dienylanions; grade: 1.0). He then organized and conducted a two year expedition in the Himalayas and reached five out of six attempted summits, among them technical difficult first ascents and an early winter climb of Cho Oyu (8202 m). After return, he performed his doctoral thesis (FH Kohler) at the chemistry department of the Technical University Munich: Die Bindung des Bicyclo(3.2.1))octa-2,6-dienylanions an Metalle; grade (July 27, 1987): 1.0 and was research assistant for several more months at the same institution. From 11/87 until 4/89 he executed post-doc research at the University of California in Berkeley (organometallic chemistry, photochemistry, advanced NMR spectroscopy) with Prof. Dr. K. P. C. Vollhardt, followed by a research position at TU-Munich until 6/90, when he joined the GSF-Institute of Ecological Chemistry at the GSF Research Center for Environment and Health. He built an advanced NMR facility from scratch and performed Habilitation at the TU-Munich in 2006: Molecular level structural analysis of natural organic matter and of humic substances by NMR spectroscopy (field: ecological and analytical chemistry). Norbert Hertkorn held a graduate fellowship of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, a post-doc fellowship (Feodor-Lynen-Stipendium of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung) and was awarded the Paula und Richard von Hertwig award for interdisciplinary research at the GSF in 1995. He currently has more than 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals and >150 presentations ant national and international conferences. His current research interests are molecular-level structural characterization of natural organic matter and other complex, non-repetitive systems by a combination of NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, separation and combined mathematical data evaluation; the investigation of molecular mechanisms of the interaction of NOM with organic and inorganic pollutants, mineral surfaces and living systems; plant and microbial metabolism; authentification of the origin of natural compounds with isotope-specific methods and biotic and abiotic enantioselectivity.