The PSI Laboratory of Radiochemistry studies the chemistry of heavy elements, potential radiopharmaceuticals and radionuclides in liquid metals.
Lab News & Scientific Highlights
Welcome to Our New Team Members
We are happy to welcome Francesco Barattini, Anita Piccoli, Arda Baran Burçak, and Ian Mirco Saxer to our team.
They join us with different backgrounds and expertise, bringing fresh energy and new perspectives to our ongoing work in radiochemistry, target development, and nuclear science.
We are looking forward to working together and to the contributions they will make to our activities and collaborations.
A warm welcome to all of them, and we wish them a great start with us!
Exploring the heavy end of the Periodic Table – SRF interview with Patrick Steinegger and Christoph Düllmann
Daniel Theis from Swiss Radio and Television (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen, SRF) spoke with Christoph Düllmann (GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research & Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz) and our own Patrick Steinegger (Heavy Elements group at PSI and ETH Zürich) about what it looks like “Am schweren Ende des Periodensystems” (English: At the heavy end of the periodic table).
🎉Outstanding Performance by LRC Students in NES 2025 Best Student Awards 🏆
We are pleased to share that two of our PhD students, Noemi and Vlad (first and second from the left in the photo), have been awarded Best NES Student of 2025 in their respective categories!
👏 Vlad received the award in the 3rd-year PhD category for his research on tellurium evaporation from lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE), a key coolant in Generation IV nuclear reactors. His work, which focuses on understanding chemical species formation and the effects of humidity, provides important insights for improving the safety and reliability of advanced reactor systems.
👏 Noemi, recognized in the 4th-year PhD category, earned this honor for the second time (she was also awarded in 2022 as a 1st-year PhD student). Her project, "Enhancing Target Stability for Superheavy Element Production via Coupled Reduction," contributes valuable knowledge to the development of stable target materials for cutting-edge nuclear physics experiments.
We’re also proud to recognize Pasolini Sofia and Kou Xuandong, who were finalists in their respective categories:
🏅 Sofia presented her PhD project, "Radiolanthanide Production In Core (RAPIC)", focusing on innovative approaches for isotope production within reactor environments.
🏅 Xuandong was recognized for his work titled "Fission Product Release Behavior in GEN-IV Reactors", exploring crucial aspects of radioactive species behavior in next-generation nuclear systems.
Their achievements reflect the depth and impact of the research conducted in our program. Congratulations to all four!
We are pleased to welcome Marius Balizs to our group
Marius joins us to contribute to our research activities on liquid metals, bringing fresh perspective and expertise to this rapidly evolving field. His work will support ongoing efforts in understanding the physicochemical behavior of liquid metal systems under conditions relevant to nuclear and energy applications.
We look forward to his contributions and to working together on advancing our research. Welcome to the team, Marius!
LRC Annual Reports
The Annual Reports of the LRC contain accounts of ongoing scientific research and provide an overview of the variety of topics investigated in our laboratory. Until 2015, they comprise results achieved within the former Laboratory for Radio- and Environmental Chemistry (LCH).