Seminars

The intriguing prospects of molecular electronics, nanotechnology, biomaterials, and the aim to close the gap between synthetic and biological molecular systems are important ingredients to study the cooperative action of molecules in the self-assembly towards functional supramolecular materials and systems.

Nanostructured metals and semiconductors are promising building blocks for next generation solar energy conversion devices at low cost. From the optical perspective, nanostructure (NS) ensembles constitute a new class of metamaterial, where the optical properties of the ensemble are tuned by the individual NS type, geometry and collective arrangement.

Polymer membranes for gas separation are extensively applied on large scale in many (petro)chemical processes. With the electrification and transition to a circular economy, the number of new applications is expanding, due to their low footprint and low energy consumption for separation.

It is critical to understand how electrochemical materials change, transform, and degrade within devices to enable the development of next-generation energy storage and conversion systems. In my research group, multi-scale in situ techniques are used to reveal reaction mechanisms and interfacial transformations in materials for batteries and catalysis.

The impact of a laser pulse onto a liquid drop can lead to a violent response: plasma formation and local boiling induce a strong propulsion and deformation of the drop and eventually rupture the liquid into tiny pieces. When drops impact onto a solid surface, similar deformation and fragmentation occurs.