Max Planck Institutes and Experts

Many proteins in the focus of structural-biology studies cannot be elucidated by conventional methodology. The research group Solid-State NMR hence is concerned with the development and application of NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) methods dedicated for the characterization of structure and dynamics of solid proteins. Developing improved methodology for solid-state NMR helps to make more targets amenable for their characterization with atomic resolution.

Extreme haze episodes shrouded Beijing during the winter of 2013, causing major environmental and health problems. We show that the severe winter haze was driven by stable synoptic meteorological conditions rather than by an abrupt change of emissions; the fast build-up of PM_2.5 in Beijing was mainly controlled by the atmospheric transport; and the production of secondary aerosols is enhanced during the haze periods. This enhancement cannot be explained by the weakened photochemistry suggesting a missing source of PM_2.5, which is likely the heterogeneous reaction.

Phases of matter are usually characterized by their symmetry breaking. With the Quantum Hall Effect, a completely new class of topological phases was discovered, which cannot be characterized by symmetry breaking. These phases have highly non-local excitations that could serve as ideal building blocks for a fault-tolerant quantum computer. To understand topological phases in realistic model systems, complicated quantum-many body systems have to be solved. This can be achieved by using new efficient algorithms based on insights from the field of quantum information.

The economic losses due to corrosion in industrialized countries can represent up to 6% of gross national product. This explains the emphasis placed on the research dealing with corrosion protection. As part of a collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research in Düsseldorf, we have produced new coatings for an adequate corrosion protection. We studied corrosion attacks and clarified the fundamental aspects of self-healing and anti-corrosion mechanisms.

Conjugated polymers can be processed from solution; this attractive feature opens up the realization of roll-to-roll based production processes. Yet commercial success has been hindered. The MPI-P recently demonstrated that the intrinsic properties of conjugated polymers have been masked by defects and therefore have not been fully exploited so far. Our aim is to uncover and characterize these intrinsic properties and improve them further. Using polymer blends, novel properties and nanostructures are realized by controlling the phase separation between various functional polymers.