Research Groups and Topics

The research groups of the Professorship of Functional Nanostructures are working on the synthesis and characterization of novel colloidal nanoparticles with different shapes, sizes and materials and corresponding properties as well as the assembly of these particles into macroscopic and microscopic superstructures. The spectroscopic, electrochemical and structural characterization of these novel materials provides information on their physicochemical properties in terms of carrier dynamics and conductivity, band structure, plasmonics as well as optical or magnetic properties, especially with respect to interparticle interactions.

The research groups in the area of complex interfaces and molecules deal with questions of structure and dynamics in the scale range from molecules to macroscopic effects at solid-state interfaces. In the research field Complex Interfaces, reactions and structure formation in solid-state interfaces and their dynamics are investigated using experimental and theoretical methods. In the field of molecules, trend-setting time domain coherence techniques are developed in FT-microwave spectroscopy and intra- and intermolecular properties of molecules and clusters are investigated with supersonic expansion sources.

The research groups in the Research Area Nanostructured Functional Layers and Materials deal with functional materials for catalysis and gas separation as well as energy conversion, transport and storage.

The focus of the research group is the investigation of bio-attractive or bio-repulsive materials and surface coatings with high cell- and bio-compatibility. Ideally, these materials can even switch their properties on demand with short response times for application in the biomedical field. Therefore, an in-depth characterisation of material surfaces and coatings in terms of hydrophilicity, roughness, thickness, elasticity and biocompatibility is essential in order to correlate the biological response with the material properties of the substrate.  

The focus of the research group is the investigation of bio-attractive or bio-repulsive materials and surface coatings with high cell- and bio-compatibility. Ideally, these materials can even switch their properties on demand with short response times for application in the biomedical field. Therefore, an in-depth characterisation of material surfaces and coatings in terms of hydrophilicity, roughness, thickness, elasticity and biocompatibility is essential in order to correlate the biological response with the material properties of the substrate.  

The research group is investigating the simulation of chemical reactions. We solve the time-independent Schrödinger equation for the electrons of a molecular system using the density functional approximation. Our individual projects are structured according to the way in which a chemical system is reacted: Photochemistry (by light), mechanochemistry (by mechanical stress), electrochemistry (by electric current).