Material
Which molecular structures make a material luminescent, conductive or switchable? How are functional solids with defined electronic and optical properties created from specifically synthesized molecules, and what new phenomena occur when matter is reduced to the nanoscale? These questions are at the heart of materials research in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Researchers develop new compounds and materials through precise synthesis, characterize their properties at the atomic and nanoscopic level and process them into functional layers and components. The spectrum ranges from conjugated polymers and porous scaffold compounds to luminescent metal complexes and plasmonic nanostructures through to semiconducting thin films for optoelectronics and sensor technology. Materials research in the department thus combines fundamental findings in solid-state and nanoscience with concrete perspectives for energy technology, biophotonics and information storage.
Key Research Areas in Material Sciences
Synthesis
Chemical synthesis is the starting point for any targeted material development: materials with tailored properties are only created through the precise control of reaction conditions, molecular architecture and functionalization strategies. Among other things, conjugated polymers and hybrid materials, organometallic and covalent organic framework compounds as well as luminescent coordination compounds with f-elements are synthesized in the department. The synthesis research ranges from the molecular level to the controlled deposition of functional thin films.
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Nano
On the nanoscale, the size, shape and surface of a material determine its optical, electronic and mechanical properties in a way that has no equivalent on the macroscopic scale. The department synthesizes and characterizes plasmonic nanostructures, ultra-light porous aerogels and polymeric hybrid nanocomposites and develops methods for the controlled deposition of thin films at the atomic level. Potential applications range from biophotonics and nanomedicine to optical sensors and optoelectronics.
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Solid state
Crystalline solids form the basis for a large number of technologically relevant materials, from energy storage devices and catalysts to semiconductor components and information carriers. The department synthesizes and structurally characterizes new inorganic compounds, porous networks such as organometallic and covalent organic framework compounds as well as compounds with f-elements and unusual magnetic or optical properties. A particular focus is on photoswitchable solids whose physical properties can be reversibly altered by light stimuli.
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Semiconductors
Organic semiconductors combine the electronic properties of inorganic materials with the chemical flexibility of organic molecules and thus enable the production of large-area, lightweight and cost-effective processable optoelectronic components. The department synthesizes new semiconducting compounds, processes them into thin films and tests them in organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells. The targeted introduction of chirality and the tuning of luminescence properties open up new functions such as the emission of circularly polarized light.
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Photonics
Photonics deals with the generation, guidance and detection of light on the scale of individual molecules and nanostructures. The department produces light-emitting organic compounds, miniaturized laser systems for biological applications and plasmonic nanostructures that concentrate optical fields on nanometric volumes. Research ranges from biophotonics and optogenetics to integrated optoelectronic systems and ultrafast spectroscopic methods for investigating dynamic light-matter interactions.
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Complexes
Coordination compounds are formed when metal centers are coordinated by carefully designed ligands and develop characteristic optical, magnetic or catalytic properties. In the department, complexes with transition and f elements are synthesized and structurally characterized, where the luminescence is systematically tuned by selective variation of the ligand environment. Quantum chemical ab initio calculations provide a deep understanding of the electronic structure of these compounds and support the rational design of new materials.
