Philipp Wagner's research focuses on special chemical compounds that exist only for a very short time and are therefore difficult to study. To better understand these “intermediate stages,” he combines different methods: He synthesizes the compounds in the laboratory, calculates their properties on the computer, and “captures” them at extremely low temperatures in order to analyze them more precisely based on their interaction with light. In this way, he can make unusual molecules tangible that would otherwise be almost impossible to detect. His work contributes to a detailed understanding of chemical reactions and can thus lead to new insights into fundamental processes in chemistry.

Philipp Wagner studied chemistry at Justus Liebig University in Giessen. He also completed his doctorate there in Professor Peter Schreiner's working group, supported by a doctoral scholarship from the Chemical Industry Fund (Fonds der Chemischen Industrie). In his PhD dissertation, he examined how basic physical effects, such as particles sometimes seemingly “passing through walls” or molecules influencing each other through tiny attractive forces, affect chemical reactions.

He then conducted research as a Feodor Lynen Fellow at the University of Georgia in Prof. Michael Duncan’s working group. There, he investigated how certain charged molecules (ions) break apart when irradiated with light. In 2018, he began his independent career and headed a junior research group at the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Tübingen. This position was made possible by a Liebig Scholarship from the Chemical Industry Fund.