Junior research groups

MatrixPrint

The BMBF NanoMatFutur junior research group led by Dr Dorothea Helmer is working on new materials and 3D printing.
In traditional manufacturing, components are produced subtractively, i.e. from a block of material by removing material – this leads to a larger amount of waste. 3D printing promises a multitude of possibilities for the manufacturing of the future: less waste through layer-by-layer production without excess material, individual designs, complex structures. However, completely free printing in three-dimensional space is still difficult to achieve today: complex structures require the printing of support structures that must be removed afterwards. The layer-by-layer application of material in the 3D printer also results in rough surfaces, which often require post-treatment.

Research is therefore being conducted into volumetric printing processes in which various materials such as glass, polymers and metals are printed in reusable support matrices. The materials are printed as liquid inks into a gel matrix using a needle. The matrix can stabilise the material inks so that the structures remain exactly where they were printed, regardless of their density. MatrixPrint technology enables the production of complex 3D structures made of various materials, as well as artificial blood vessels.

Website HelmerLab

Electrochemical Energy Systems

The junior research group led by Dr Severin Vierrath conducts research into fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers. Its core competencies are innovative manufacturing methods and materials, as well as microcharacterisation and 3D imaging techniques for these technologies. The focus is on new manufacturing methods and alternative materials for electrochemical energy applications: fuel cells, electrolysis cells and redox flow batteries. We are increasing power density and service life through new membrane systems. We are also developing new electrode structures that enable higher power densities. The group uses methods such as electrospinning, spray coating and scalable coating processes for this purpose.

We characterise new materials and manufacturing methods electrochemically in fuel cell, electrolysis cell and battery test benches, as well as ex situ in our microanalysis laboratory (µXRF, Xe plasma FIB/SEM, Raman microscopy, etc.). This covers the entire value chain from catalyst and membrane production, ink and MEA manufacturing to electrochemical and microscopic analysis.

To the Website

Green hydrogen as the energy source of tomorrow: Dr Severin Vierrath and his team are developing both a new electrolysis process and materials for fuel cells. Photo: Klaus Polkowski

*Radiation map resulting from a radiation camera prototype developed in the OSKAR joint project.*

OSKAR: Spatially resolved radiation camera with radionuclide identification, subproject A

The aim of the project, led by Dr Simon Procz, is to develop two novel radiation camera prototypes called OSKAR-3 and OSKAR-4, which enable the direct localisation of radioactive sources by analysing the Compton effect. Timepix-3/Timepix-4 detector chips in combination with 3–5 mm thick CdTe sensors are used for this purpose. Compared to existing gamma cameras, efficiency will increase significantly, with OSKAR-3 being at least 25 times and OSKAR-4 at least 150 times more efficient than current gamma cameras. As additional information, the radiation camera will offer radionuclide identification, which in some fields of application represents a further significant added value compared to existing radiation detectors. Furthermore, not only gamma photons are detected and analysed, but also beta particles.

The field of application for this radiation camera is therefore interdisciplinary: the project will evaluate its usefulness for nuclear decommissioning, scrap metal inspection, security and counterterrorism, disaster control and medical imaging.