Professorship for
Inorganic Chemistry
The Supraparticle Group
Our research
We 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
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Our recent article about a single magnetic particle with nearly unlimited encoding options was featured as an inside back cover of Small.
You can find the article here. Continue
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Rosa was just awarded the Emerging Talents Initiative grant of the FAU!
Congratulations Rosa, way to go! Continue
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We are pleased to welcome Laura Bittel in the Supraprticle Group. Her research will focus on multicomponent catalytic supraparticles.
Welcome Laura! Continue
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Advanced Functional Materials just accepted our work, in which we demonstrate for the first time the successful design of a true communicating particle which not only carries a unique ID but also a recorder functionality all in one entity. The full title is: “Communicating Particles: Identification ... Continue
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Citrates are very often used to surface-functionalize iron oxide nanoparticles after their synthesis. However, they are not employed directly during synthesis as it is commonly observed that they inhibit the precipitation of the iron species. In our latest paper, which was just accepted by Particle ... Continue
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We managed to create a single magnetic particle with over 77 billion encoding options. A breakthrough towards an all magnetic ID! The work can be found here. Continue
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Agglomeration of magnetic nanoparticles in dispersion cannot only be controlled upon temperature change but this can also be measured in situ via magnetic particle spectroscopy! More detailed infromation can be found here.
Great collaboration with the group of Tobias Kraus and the Fraunhofer IIS .
... Continue
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Spray-drying nanoparticles is not only interesting to create supraparticles. It is also a way to generate solid-filled aerosols. The process is a model to what happens when humans cough or sneeze virus particles such as SARS-CoV-2. Using harmless fluorescent silica-based virus analogues, it can easi... Continue
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Our artwork regarding our latest review article "Supraparticles for Sustainability" published in Advanced Functional Materials was chosen as frontispiece art. Continue
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we are pleased to welcome Andreas Wolf, a familiar face, to our group as a PhD candidate. His work will focus on interactive magnetic supraparticles, where magnetic markers are used to monitor the separation of battery active materials and additives.
Welcome Andreas! Continue
We 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.
