Engineered wall paint could kill corona viruses
Investigation of aerosols on titanium dioxide shows promising routes to surface and air disinfection This article by our colleague Mona Kohantorabi within the CORAERO project shows new possiblities in fighting viruses in critical environments like hospitals etc. It was published at ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces and also noted on the DESY research news. Scientists from the University of Milan, Hamburg University of Technology, Technical University of Munich, Harvard Medical School, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, Universität Hamburg, Helmholtz Munich and DESY have contributed to this study, which was supported by the initiative and networking fund of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers under the CORAERO Project (KA1-Co-06).
New FS-NL publications as DESY Highlights
Dynamics of water molecules on a titanium dioxide surface and a proof that solvent affects structure of nano-coatings
Our colleagues Michael Wagstaffe and Esko Erik Beck have published two articles which have been mentioned both in the DESY HIghlights section.
Together with various colleagues and cooperation partners Mike took a look at the dynamics of water molecules and discovered an 'electronic movie'. Their findings show how the activity of the photoactive surface is determined by ultrafast interfacial hole transfer from TiO2 to adsorbed water. A detailed understanding of the hydrogen bonding of molecules on a surface as well as their complex reaction pathways are crucial for further developments of photocatalysts.
Erik in a cooperation centered around the SFB 986 dealt with the question how to improve the process which allows material to grow in a well-ordered manner by different solvents and/or by heating. With spin-coating, material is built up layer by layer and can therefore be made to be particularly hard, for example. Making artificial dental enamel could be conceivable.”
Take a look at the overview of Mike's and Erik's articles on the DESY highlight section or check out Mike's article and Erik's article directly.
Group Retreat in the Lüneburger Heide
After a pandemic related break of three years our group kick-off meeting took place in Bad Bevensen. In the beginning of March 2023 we met at the GSI for three days of talks and lively discussions.
Detailed atomic understanding of an oxide/organic acid interface
We have just published our article "Oleic Acid Adsorption on Magnetite Facets" in Communications Chemistry where we zoom in on the oxide/organic interface and give first atomic insights into the formation of oleic acid layers on magnetite (111) and (001) surfaces, a system highly relevant in materials science for developing novel nanocomposites. The study focusses on the determination of molecular coverage, thickness, binding geometry and near-surface structural changes by using our experimental techniques, such as FT-IR spectroscopy, surface X-ray diffraction and X-ray reflectivity combined with molecular dynamics simulations performed by our collaborators from the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH).
2 succesful PhD defenses in 2021
On October 29th our colleague Henning Runge succesfully held his defense on "Growth, single-particle, and ensemble X-ray diffraction from model catalysts under operando reaction conditions". Our colleague Steffen Tober (pictured) followed suit in December 2021, successfully defending his PhD thesis on "Near-Surface Iron Cation Transport in Magnetite". Congratulations and every success and happiness in the future!
Innovative ideas for the energy carrier of the future
An innovative approach could turn nanoparticles into simple reservoirs for storing hydrogen. An article on how and which possibilities this is offering has been published in Winter 2021. For more information, click here or read the article.
The palladium nanoparticles (green) are stabilised by a core of iridium (red). Hydrogen can accumulate on their surface like a kind of chocolate glaze - and can be released again by heating. Credit: DESY, Andreas Stierle
Single Alloy Nanoparticle X-Ray Imaging during a Catalytic Reaction
Unprecedented view of a single catalyst nanoparticle at work
After the publication of their groundbreaking article on how the chemical composition of the surface changes under catalytic reaction conditions in Science Advances some of the authors gathered to celebrate. For more information go to the article in Science Advances or look here.
from left to right: Ivan Vartaniants, Andreas Stierle, Young Yong Kim, Thomas F. Keller
Dancing Molecules
Marcus Creutzburg as head author and fellow scientists have published an article on Heterogeneous adsorption and superstructure formation of organic molecules on an iron oxide surface in cooperation with colleagues from the TU Hamburg. For the first time the collective arrangement of organic acid molecules on an iron oxide surface at the atomic level has been deciphered. The article has received wide recognition and is mentioned on DESY news. It is a result of the TUHH’s Collaborative Research Centre 986 “Tailor-Made Multiscale Material Systems (M3)” of which the DESY NanoLab is a partner.
CORAERO project: stopping viruses spreading
The NanoLab represented by Heshmat Noei is participating in a Helmholtz Association project to overcome the Covid-19-pandemic within the project CORAERO - "Airborne Transmission of SARS Coronavirus - From Fundamental Science to Efficient Air Cleaning Systems". CORAERO focuses on researching and preventing virus transmission through aerosols and droplets. Click here for more information on this project.
DESY NanoLab researcher, Heshmat Noei, studies virus inactivation on photocatalysts in the framework of the CORAERO project, financed by the Helmholtz Call for Pandemic
NFFA-Europe will become PILOT for new schemes of Research Infrastructure: NEP (NFFA-Europe-Pilot) in Spring 2021
In the past the DESY NanoLab has succesfully participated in the European research project nanoscience foundries and fine analysis (NFFA) which succesful links the unique competences of specialized academic laboratories with the larger national and international institutes and the combined usage of the large scale analytical facilities. We are happy to announce that NFFA-NEP, a follow-up pilot project, has been approved in which the DESY NanoLab will also join and support international research with its team and facilities.
DESY Strategy Board DSF has approved and will fund Corona-related Research Project
DSF Corona Call
The NanoLab is thrilled to announce that the DESY Strategy Board DSF has approved Dr Heshmat Noei's proposal "How does TiO
2 clean air from Corona Virus?" as scientifically very attractive and fitting the call.
Heshmat is overseeing the NanoLab spectroscopy laboratory and will use its facilities for this important inquiry. We congratulate Heshmat and wish her lots of success with her research!
Jean-Marie Lehn und Klaus von Klitzing-Preis 2020 for the best Master thesis in Nanoscience at Hamburg University
We are very happy to announce that our colleague Helena Gleißner has received this price for her master's thesis on Photoinduced CO Oxidation on N-doped TiO2.
Helena is currently one of our PhD students at the NanoLab.
Congratulations!
Degrees at the NanoLab
Despite the Corona virus and all induced restrictions and limitations we are happy to announce that two NanoLab colleagues have succesfully defended their PhD theses in May 2020.
Congratulations from the whole team and all the best of luck and success for their future!
In addition in May as well as in June 2020 Alexander Meinhardt and Erik Beck have successfully defended their Master thesis' - in a virtual seminar too.
We wish them best of luck and success for the future and their next professional steps likewise.
Marcus Creutzburg and Guilherme Dalla Lana Semione celebrating their successful disputations.
CXNS (Center for X-ray and Nano Science)
The new CXNS is under construction. We are looking forward to moving into our new facilities by spring 2021 and to using state of the art research laboratories in short walking distance to the large scale light sources on the DESY compound.
