Ronen
Gottesman

Dr. Ronen Gottesman is a new faculty member in the Institute of Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Ronen specializes in physical chemistry, material science, and the application of solar energy conversion materials.

Ronen’s research focuses on the intersection of plasma-based materials’ synthesis and fundamental studies of novel functional materials. He is currently researching heteroanionic semiconducting chemical compounds containing multiple anions. These materials may be used for solar energy-driven conversion of cheap, abundant resources, like water, into chemical fuels. As an Azrieli Fellow, Ronen will explore oxynitrides, a sub-class of heteroanionic materials that exhibit significantly enhanced properties, high performance, and increased stability under photoelectrochemical water splitting. He aims to develop innovative experimental systems to study oxynitrides’ structural properties, leading to scientific breakthroughs in sustainable development.

Ronen completed a BSc in biophysics at Bar- Ilan University. Before continuing with his PhD in physical chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Arie Zaban, he interned in South Korea with Prof. Nam-Gyu Park (a co-inventor of the perovskite solar cells). In his ensuing PhD research, he worked on perovskite-based solar cells – one of the first students in Israel to work on these captivating semiconductor materials. He continued in the field of solar energy conversion during his postdoctoral studies at the Institute for Solar Fuels at the Helmholtz Center for Materials and Energy in Berlin, where he established a specialized team for the development of “green” hydrogen. Ronen is married to Efrat, and they enjoy an active life with their two children, Yanai and Goni.