Areas of Research

Using various methods we create nanostructures at interfaces and in thin films and characterize them on different scales. Here the understanding of structure-property relations enables a systematic adjustment of the properties of nanostructured interfaces, surfaces and thin films for applications such as sensors, water purification, nanoelectronics, energy production and -storage, as multifunctional thin layers, as well as switchable and responsive interfaces.

Our core competence is the synthesis of responsive and functional surfaces using stimuli-responsive and nanostructured polymer brushes, as well as the design of nanostructured polymeric surfaces using micro-phase separation of copolymers for applications in water purification and for biomedical products. Additionally we investigate functional materials for application-oriented system integration in the area of biotechnology, energy technique, water purification, microsystem technique and sensors, for e.g. as micro fluidic flow cell and reactors, optical sensor-chips or separator for energy storage systems. Another competence is the development of metamaterials to control effective material constants using self-assembly of colloidal components.

We combine the development of nanomaterials with comprehensive analytics on the nanoscale. Here we use electron microscopy (REM, (cryo)TEM, FIB, Ultra Microtome), X-Ray analysis, imaging scanning probe techniques, as well as optical characterization methods (UV-VIS NIR, spectroscopic ellipsometry, dark-field microscopy).

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