iL-CURRENT
8. October 2025
Henning Richter: "Contacts are extremely
extremely stimulating and helpful"
One of our speakers on October 15 (9.30 am to 5.30 pm) at the Heidelberg Congress Center is Henning Richter, Vice President for Research and Development at Nano-C. On this day, the national and international clean tech and solar community will meet for the CLEAN TECH INNOVATION DAY & SOLAR TAP INDUSTRY DAY 2025 in Heidelberg.
Nano-C, based in Westwood, Massachusetts, is a pioneer in the field of fullerenes and nanocarbon materials - key technologies that are becoming increasingly important for sustainable energy solutions. In our iL expert interview, Richter reveals what opportunities he sees, where collaborations are particularly exciting and how nanomaterials can help shape the future of the clean tech sector.
Henning Richter, Vice President for Research and Development at Nano-C. Picture: Nano-C
Five questions for ... Henning Richter
Mr. Richter, you are a speaker at the second edition of this event in Heidelberg. What are you looking forward to the most?
Henning Richter: This is my first visit to the CLEAN TECH INNOVATION DAY & SOLAR TAP INDUSTRY DAY and I am particularly looking forward to the exchange with colleagues in the solar and hydrogen community, although I am not yet so familiar with the latter. I am confident that the coming together of experts in materials and components, with a focus on technical but also commercial issues, will lead to synergies. As a material manufacturer, I hope to gain a better understanding of the materials and their properties needed for the next generation of technology.
Nano-C is a leading international company in the field of fullerene and nanocarbon materials. What role do these materials currently play in the clean-tech and solar industry?
Richter: The use of fullerenes and fullerene derivatives in next-generation solar technology is something we have been working on for many years. At times in collaboration with a major European chemical company, we have developed new fullerene derivatives that, when used as electron acceptors in the active layer of organic solar cells, enable better performance and stability. We are pleased to see that our molecules are being used in the first products. Nanotubes are increasingly used as an additive in batteries to improve electrical conductivity as well as structural properties with as little material as possible. We are working intensively on optimizing the properties of the nanotubes with a wall that we produce, in particular their length but also the quality of the dispersions.
Nano-C: Pioneer in the field of fullerenes and nanocarbon materials. Image: Nano-C
Innovations often arise at the interface between research and application. Where do you currently see the most exciting approaches to making nanomaterials usable for sustainable energy solutions?
Richter: Perovskite-based solar cells, either on their own or combined with established silicon technology, for example, are a very exciting topic. As part of SolarTAP, we are also working intensively on the development of new interface materials for electron and hole transport. These efforts range from optimizing the purity of evaporated C60 to developing new fullerene derivatives that minimize recombination losses and improve stability (including mechanical stability). In the long term, the use of flexible, lightweight substrates suitable for roll-to-roll manufacturing processes has great potential. In this context, we are also working on electrodes based on our nanotubes, but also silver nanowires, which enable semi-transparency.
In your experience, which technological developments relating to nanomaterials will have the greatest impact on the clean-tech sector over the next few years - and what contribution can nano-C make in the fields of energy, electronics and other high-tech fields?
Richter: It is an integral part of our strategy to offer materials that are required for the next generation of solar cells - perovskite-based or organic - on an industrial scale and thus ensure the rapid market launch of the end products. Due to the dynamic nature of the field and the need to further improve the efficiency and stability of solar cells, it is necessary to react quickly and bring new products to market at relatively short notice. Close cooperation with universities and research institutes is extremely important in order to identify new developments at an early stage. The use of pure semiconducting nanotubes in electronics, for example as thin-film transistors, is also an exciting topic. However, I suspect that it will be some time before the first products are launched on the market. In collaboration with a subsidiary, we are also working on anti-corrosion coatings for bipolar plates in fuel cells. This is a topic that has recently picked up speed at a rapid pace.
America, Belgium, Germany: International cooperation is essential for progress. Picture: Nano-C
The expert meeting in the university city and start-up stronghold of Heidelberg brings together start-ups, industry and research. What impetus do you hope to gain for new partnerships or projects in this environment?
Richter: When I first looked at the list of participants, I noticed several companies that I would like to talk to in more detail. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to deepen existing contacts, for example within the Helmholtz Association, with KIT and SolarTAP. I will also be very happy to take the opportunity to visit InnovationLab in Heidelberg.
I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of international collaboration. After my diploma thesis in Darmstadt, where I was able to witness the first observation of fullerene ions in flames up close, fullerenes also accompanied me to my next station in Belgium - and later never let go during my postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). To this day, I find the contact with researchers, but also colleagues from the more commercial side with different cultural experiences, extremely stimulating and helpful for rapid progress. I am sure that I will also be able to experience this in Heidelberg.
About the person
Dr. Henning Richter, Vice President of Research & Development, was trained as a chemist in Germany and Belgium. Richter works on the synthesis of nanostructures, in particular electronic materials such as fullerene derivatives and non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) with specific physical, chemical and electronic properties aimed at applications in organic and perovskite-based solar cells.
About Nano-C
Nano-C is a spin-off of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has set itself the goal of developing and industrially producing carbon-based nanomaterials. A wide range of fullerenes, fullerene derivatives as well as nanotubes and their dispersions are available in all necessary quantities for a variety of applications such as solar cells and batteries.
Venue and registration
Heidelberg Congress Center (HCC)
October 15 , 2025 - all day
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Further Further information:
On our website you will find regular updates on the program, the speakers and the planned session content.
So feel free to drop by regularly!
We look forward to your participation - and to an inspiring day full of ideas, impulses and innovations in the exciting clean tech sector!
Joachim Klaehn
Head of Communications
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