Dr. Ellen Backus, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Max Planck Gesellschaft, Mainz
Mark profile

Dr. Ellen Backus

Nominated by

  • European Research Council (ERC)
  • AcademiaNet member since 11.11.2013
  • AcademiaNet- Selection Criteria


Employed by

  • Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Max Planck Gesellschaft, Mainz


Academic Discipline/Fields

  • Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics


Field

Physical sciences



Area of specialisation

Sum frequency generation spectroscopy, surface science, time-resolved spectroscopy



Research interests

  • Water at interfaces

  • Water dissociation

  • Ice

  • Reaction dynamics



Distinctions and Awards

  • ERC starting grant (2013)

  • Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (2013)

  • Three-years VENI fellowship from NWO (2008-2011)

  • One-year postdoc grant from the 'Forschungskredit' of the University of Zurich (2007)

  • Talent stipend for 1 year from NWO to perform research at the University of Zurich (2006)

  • 'Discoverer of the Year 2005' at the Science faculty of the Leiden University

  • Poster prize at the Gordon Research Conference 'Dynamics at Surfaces' in 2003

  • Poster prize at the meeting of the Holland Research School of Molecular Sciences in 2002

  • VNCI prize (Dutch Chemical Industry Prize for excellent students) in 1997, 1998 and 1999



Languages

Dutch, English, German



Doctorate

  • 2005: Driving and probing surfaces with light




Short CV/Education and training

  • 1996 – 2000
    Chemistry studies (cum laude, highest honour) at the University of Amsterdam, Master-thesis: Photoionization dynamics of the products of the photo-dissociation of 16 valence electron triatomics, supervisor C.A. de Lange

  • 2000 – 2005
    PhD student, Leiden University, PhD-thesis: Driving and probing surfaces with light, supervisors M. Bonn and A.W. Kleyn

  • 2006 – 2008
    Postdoc in the group of Prof. Hamm at the University of Zurich funded by a Talent stipend from NWO (The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) and a grant from the 'Forschungskredit' from the University of Zurich

  • 2008 – 2012
    Senior postdoc in the groups of Prof. Bakker at AMOLF in Amsterdam, independent VENI fellowship Co-supervising PhD students and postdocs

  • Since 2012
    Project leader at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research with the subject "water at interfaces"

Selected publications

  • C.S. Hsieh, R.K. Campen, M. Okuno, Y. Nagata, E.H.G. Backus, and M. Bonn

    Mechanism of Vibrational Energy Dissipation of Free OH Groups at the Air-Water Interface Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (2013), in print.

  • Y. Nagata, R.E. Pool, E.H.G. Backus, and M. Bonn

    Nuclear quantum effects affect bond orientation of water at the water-vapor interface

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 109 (2012) 226101

  • E.H.G. Backus, N. Garcia-Araez, M. Bonn, and H.J. Bakker

    On the role of Fresnel factors in sum-frequency generation spectroscopy of metal-water and metal-oxide-water interfaces

    J. Phys. Chem. C 116 (2012) 23351

  • E.H.G. Backus, J.A. Ihalainen, R. Pfister, and P. Hamm

    2D-IR study of a photoswitchable isotope labeled alpha-helix

    J. Phys. Chem. B 114 (2010) 3735

  • E.H.G. Backus, S. Garrett-Roe, and P. Hamm

    Phasing problem of heterodyne-detected two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

    Opt. Lett. 33 (2008) 2665

  • E.H.G. Backus, A. Eichler, A.W. Kleyn, and M. Bonn

    Real-time observation of molecular motion on a surface

    Science 310 (2005) 1790


Contact

You can only see the contact information of the academics in the database if you are a registered user of AcademiaNet.
Please register here

Testimonials

  1. Read what our members say about AcademiaNet.

No more excuses!

  1. Please download the brochure "No more excuses" and read more about female experts in Europe, and about AcademiaNet.

Similar profiles

  1. Prof. Dr. Katharina Al-Shamery

    Physical sciencesSurface and interface science, (photo)catalysis and nanophotonics

  2. Dr. Chantal Abergel

    Biological and related sciences , Physical sciencesEnvironmental virology, Molecular and structural biology, biochemistry

  3. Dr. Fatemeh Ajalloueian

    Physical sciencesBiopolymers, Fiber science

  4. Prof. Núria Aliaga-Alcalde

    Physical sciencesNanoscience and nanotechnology, Coordination Chemistry, Supramolecular Chemistry, Molecular Magnetism

 
 
Academia Net