The research of the Department of Physical Chemistry focusses on the dynamics of elementary processes at surfaces, interfaces and in solids aiming at a microscopic understanding of the coupling between various (electronic, spin and lattice) degrees of freedom and mechanistic insights into selected dynamic phenomena like ultrafast phase transitions, excited state dynamics or single molecule reactions at surfaces. We follow the strategy to address these problems from several sides using complementary approaches, in particular by the development and application of various time- or spatial-resolved spectroscopic techniques dedicated to the specific physical questions. The research in the department is performed by small teams with specific, often complementary expertise, creating various synergies between the different groups.