Mandel group

Professorship for
Inorganic Chemistry
The Supraparticle Group

Logo: The Supraparticle Group

Prof. Dr. Karl Mandel

Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy
Professorship for Inorganic Chemistry (Prof. Dr. Mandel)

Room: Room A 2.20
Egerlandstraße 1
91058 Erlangen

 

Our research

Logo: The Supraparticle GroupWe assemble complex particles, so-called supraparticles, from nano building blocks, typically by means of ­spray‑drying; other methods are employed as well. The (mostly inorganic) nanoparticle building blocks are either tailored by means of wet chemical synthesis approaches by ourselves or are obtained from collaboration partners. A focus is on magnetic, optic and adsorber building blocks.

We are interested in novel, functional properties of such supraparticles to emerge from the cooperative interplay of the combined nano building blocks. We study how the supraparticle`s structure and complex composition determines the unique functionalities. With these supraparticles, we aim at creating smart materials in the field of sustainability; examples of applications include water purification, communicating materials and interactive surfaces. Find out more, here.

Transfer to application is achieved together with the Fraunhofer part of our group at Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg.

 

 

Our mission

 

  • With spray-drying, one can not only join nanoparticles, but also do chemistry in a droplet and crystallize MOFs from molecular precursors in presence of magnetic nanoparticles.

    The result is a strongly luminescent magnet! More details, here.

  • Andreas has recieved a doctoral scholarship from the Cusanuswerk for his Ph.D. thesis on Interactive magnetic supraparticles in dynamic fluidic environments and their application in water purification and battery recycling processes.

  • We just got funded a new BMBF project aiming towards contributing to battery recycling. Find out more in the press release by the FAU here. 

  • We co-authored a paper with the Fraunhofer ISC which reports that abrasive blasting of lithium metal surfaces yields clean and 3D structured lithium metal anodes with superior properties for batteries. The article just got accepted by Energy Technologies and can be found here.

  • Our article Overcoming the Inhibition Effects of Citrate: Precipitation of Ferromagnetic Magnetite Nanoparticles with Tunable Morphology, Magnetic Properties and Surface Charge via Ferrous Citrate Oxidation is featured as back cover in Particle & Particle Systems Characterization.

  • Our article Communicating Particles: Identification Taggant and Temperature Recorder in One Single Supraparticle is featured as frontispiece in Advanced Functional Materials.